News Service from House Harris

Fed: Police begin interviewing boat blast survivors

CANBERRA, April 21 AAP - Police in Darwin have begun interviewing three people injured in last week's fatal blast aboard an asylum-seeker boat.

The three survivors, released from hospital at the weekend to an immigration centre in Darwin, were being interviewed by Northern Territory and Australian Federal Police officers.

Police were awaiting advice from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) before interviewing two other survivors who had also been released from Royal Darwin Hospital.

The men are undergoing identity interviews, a DIAC spokeswoman told AAP.

"The identity interviews have not been completed, so ages and ethnicity have not been established," the spokeswoman said.

"But the majority of the group are believed to be Afghan."

Another three asylum seekers injured in the blast have been formally detained in a Brisbane hospital.

"Their immigration status will not interfere with their medical treatment," the spokeswoman said.

NT Police acting commander Peter Bravos said the process of interviewing all witnesses was a lengthy one, and would not be rushed.

"Five people have tragically lost their lives. Anyone with any information which will assist in determining the circumstances leading to their deaths will be spoken to," Mr Bravos said.

"This will take time, it will not be rushed and it will not miss anyone."

Acting commander Bravos said medical personnel involved in treating the survivors would also be interviewed.

"We have the huge task of recording all these accounts from individuals while they remain uninfluenced as much as possible by speculation, rumour, images and so on," he said.

"The images seized as evidence show limited information and therefore form only part of the evidence collected to date."

A team of police was expected back in Darwin from Ashmore Reef with seized debris and witness statements in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Besides the five deaths, the explosion aboard the boat last Thursday injured many more.