Search is on for suspected migrants after swamp crash

SYDNEY - An unknown number of people were believed to be on the run in a crocodile-infested swamp in northeastern Australia after a fishing boat ran aground on Sunday, authorities and reports said.

A vessel was spotted partially submerged near the Daintree River in Australia's northeast coast, with dozens of its occupants spotted fleeing on foot, which sparked a search by Australia's Border Force.

"We don't know whether these are illegal refugees or we don't know if these are fishermen who were maybe fishing illegally and have ended up in Australian waters and the boat's gone bad and they've got trapped," Cairns state lawmaker Michael Healy said.