Australia has abandoned the main search for survivors of a shipwreck off Christmas Island in which dozens of asylum seekers died.
Authorities said that an air-and-sea search that continued until late on December 17 had been called off on medical advice on the grounds that "there is no longer any reasonable prospect that anyone in the sea could still be alive."
Police will continue to make shoreline searches that will include the use of divers, Australian Customs said in a statement.
Some 30 people have been confirmed dead and 42 rescued after a wooden fishing boat - carrying mainly Iraqi, Iranian and Kurdish passengers - slammed against limestone rocks in heavy seas on December 15.
compiled from agency reports
Authorities said that an air-and-sea search that continued until late on December 17 had been called off on medical advice on the grounds that "there is no longer any reasonable prospect that anyone in the sea could still be alive."
Police will continue to make shoreline searches that will include the use of divers, Australian Customs said in a statement.
Some 30 people have been confirmed dead and 42 rescued after a wooden fishing boat - carrying mainly Iraqi, Iranian and Kurdish passengers - slammed against limestone rocks in heavy seas on December 15.
compiled from agency reports
