Western Australia police commissioner Karl O'Callaghan said a "large number" of the 200 on board were feared to have perished.
"Some of the very early reports suggest that up to 75 people may have drowned, but I do stress that they are unconfirmed at this stage," O'Callaghan told reporters.
"There were about 200 refugees on board we think. Currently there's about 40 on the hull and the rest are in the water," he added.
O'Callaghan said police were "very concerned for a large number of people who may have drowned" as a result of the capsize, which occurred in Indonesian waters 120 nautical miles north of Australia's Christmas Island.
"We know from what we've been hearing from the aircraft that there's not 200 life jackets on board," he added.
O'Callaghan said it looked as though the operation "will have to go well into the night".
(2nd lead)
Approximately 110 persons from a capsized boat rescued by Indonesian authorities.
According to the Indonesian officials the identities of those rescued could not be ascertained yet due to this it's unable to release informations about SriLankans. | 
Australian police said Thursday that early reports suggested up to 75 asylum seekers had died after their boat capsized off remote Christmas Island en route from Sri Lanka.
Parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayaka of Sri Lanka main opposition United National Party (UNP) said yesterday that the UNP turned down a request from a former terrorist to contest the Northern Provincial Council elections under the party. [
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The entire world was asking Sri Lanka to give into the terrorists and avoid confrontation with them, but we chose to trust in the strength and courage of the country’s youth, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. [
Trade unions, opposition parties and civil society organizations are gearing up to hold a massive protest on the 21st against the electricity tariff hike and the performance of the government. [
Deputy leader of the Vavuniya Municipal council M.M.Rathan stated by lighting lamps in the Wellamulliwaikal and Karaiyan Mulliwaikal people paid their respect to civilians killed in the final stage of war in year 2009. [
Students of Jaffna University commemorated death anniversary of people killed in the Mulliwaikal war. [
A woman attempted to commit suicide by jumping into a well with her 3 children in Vavuniya this morning. [
Man who has married mother and daughter of same family arrested. [
International community continuously hold debates on genocide attacks carried out by the racist government against Tamil’s in SriLanka. [
There is little doubt that in 2009 the government of Sri Lanka pulled off one of the nastiest episodes of mass killing since the Rwandan genocide – and got away with it. Tens of thousands of civilians were massacred, with barely a trickle of Syria-like imagery emerging from the battle zone, The Australian reported. [