40 people aboard a boat headed for Australia were faced with a life threatening situation today when their boat sank near the Cocos Islands.

Nearby ships replied to distress signals from the ship and were able to rescue 17 people.

Search and rescue teams are still attempting to locate the other survivors.

Australian officials have said the boat was much too small to carry 40 people, and was likely a group of asylum seekers from the middle east.

Human Trafficking activity from areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan have been on the rise this year, with nearly 2000 refugees arriving on Australia shores aboard rogue crafts.

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