Boat people stranded

Boat people stranded

GRESIK, East Java: Engine trouble forced 44 Vietnamese boat
people to land on Sembilangan island, near the East Java coastal
town of Gresik, Monday while en route to Australia, an official
said yesterday.

Thirty-one men and 13 women were stranded, the Gresik port
authority's spokesman, Suratno said. Seven were less than six
years old.

A Surabaya marine patrol had found the Vietnamese stranded
aboard their engine-driven wooden boat, and escorted them to the
Gresik port at 8 p.m. Monday, he said.

The Vietnamese reportedly left Hanci, China, on March 10 for
Australia after they had been chased away by local authorities,
Antara reported. They had been stranded in Singga's waters off
Pontianak, capital of West Kalimantan, after sailing for 13 days
from China. (swe)