200 feared dead as migrant boat sinks

WATULIMO, Indonesia - More than 200 people were feared dead after a heavily overloaded boat packed mostly with Afghan and Iranian asylum-seekers sank off Indonesia en route to Australia, rescuers said on Sunday.

Australia's government called the sinking "a terrible tragedy", but came under pressure from campaign groups which said its tough approach to refugees was partly responsible for such disasters.

The fiberglass boat had a capacity of 100 but was carrying about 250 people when it sank on Saturday off eastern Java, in heavy rain and high waves, Indonesian officials said.