April 16, 2009

Boat carrying refugees set on fire off Australia coast

Per The Australian, five people died and 51 were injured Thursday when a boat filled with refugees off the coast of Australia caught fire. Western Australia officials believe the blaze may have been started deliberately.

Australian Twitterers immediately joined the discussion upon hearing the news, providing context and offering personal opinions.

  1. Cade
    KILLcade (Melbourne, Australia) This is an unbelievably chilling sign outside Broome Hospital in anticipation of the Asylum Seeker boat explosion: http://is.gd/sGBG
  2. Paul Kidd
    paulkidd (Drummond North, Australia) If Howard were still PM, this asylum-boat accident would be being spun as a terrorist act.
  3. cannboys
    cannboys (Melbourne, Australia) I'm sure if Peter Reith and John Howard were still in charge, they'd find a way to blame the asylum seekers for the explosion on the boat...
  4. seanbedlam
    seanbedlam (Melbourne, Australia) Sweet! My beautiful Australia is about to get stuck into boat people again! God I love my embarrassing, scared-of-refugees cuntry.
  5. Tim Jeffries
    timjeffries (Preston, Australia) WA Premier says that asylum seekers lit their own boat on fire ... Are we in for another Tampa?
  6. Jason Langenauer
    jasonlangenauer (Sydney, Australia) Poured petrol all over their boat? Like fun. Children overboard all over again.

News outlets and journalists in Australia used Twitter to add to the story.

  1. Malcolm Turnbull
    TurnbullMalcolm (Sydney, Australia) just did a doorstop interview in Brisbane on the tragic explosion on the asylum seekers’ vessel of WA http://tinyurl.com/dnhqeo
  2. SBS News
    SBSNews (Australia) Medics are being flown to a makeshift hospital in Western Australia to treat survivors of the asylum seeker boat blast: http://cli.gs/WRdyuB
  3. Dave Earley
    earleyedition (Brisbane, Australia) editRT @jg_rat 1.boat in custody at time explosion 2.Details on WA Premier claim asylum seekers doused own boat in petrol http://is.gd/sGTA


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