Up to 70 asylum seekers feared dead after boat sank off Christmas Island The Royal Australian Navy is still searching for survivors when the boat of asylum seekers which has sank off Christmas Island. Picture: Australian Defence Force. NINE bodies were recovered from an asylum boat tragedy off Christmas Island yesterday with more than 60 people missing feared dead from a vessel which vanished last week. The tragedy at sea, which could involve up to 150 people, has come at the worst possible time for Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the government with fewer than 100 days before Australia goes to the polls, with Labor's controversial boats policy a key issue in marginal seats. Ms Gillard has seen 36,731 of the 43,238 people to arrive by boat under Labor during her prime ministership. As more asylum seekers arrived at Christmas Island, three planes, a Navy vessel and two merchant ships were scouring the ocean late last night after the bodies were located in a debris field. The boat vanished last Wednesday afternoon, hours after asylum seekers were spotted alive and on the deck of the vessel by a maritime patrol plane.</p><p>A Border Protection Command boat sent to its aid was unable to find the boat. Radar and aircraft searches late Wednesday and on Thursday also failed to locate the vessel. Crew of a RAAF plane involved in the search and rescue mission spotted what looked like a body in a life jacket and a submerged hull in the water at about 8pm on Friday night. A Navy vessel reached the scene of the sighting within an hour but the crew was unable to locate the suspected body but found a debris field ahead of the gruesome find yesterday. Customs confirmed last night nine bodies had been spotted 65 nautical miles north west of Christmas Island near where a RAAF aircraft had spotted the submerged hull. A Customs Dash 8 crew saw the victims from the air with HMAS Warramunga personnel at the scene confirming the grim find. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Rescue Coordination Centre began a search for survivors Friday. There was little hope last night anyone would be found alive. A P3 Orion, the Customs Dash 8, two merchant ships and a Navy vessel have been involved in the search. "The search and rescue operation is focused on finding survivors and will continue into the night," a Customs statement said. Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare flew to Canberra last night for a briefing from Border Protection Command. As the rescue was unfolding north west of Christmas Island, about 100 Sri Lankan asylum seekers were found near the island. Another group rescued by a merchant vessel was also brought in to be taken to detention facilities. More asylum seekers are expected to arrive in coming days. Opposition Immigration spokesman Scott Morrison declined to comment, with his spokesman saying the Coalition would not comment while the search was under way. A spokesman for Ms Gillard said, before the discovery of the bodies, that she would not comment while the search was under way and would wait until the situation "become clearer." In the first week of June, 660 asylum seekers reached Australia with more than 11,300 arriving so far in 2013 with the record influx stretching Australian authorities. The sinking is the first since a boat went down near Java in Indonesia in April. Just 14 survivors were plucked from the water from the vessel which was carrying just over 70 people. The remaining passengers were never found with Indonesia conducting only a limited search.The first ships to arrive found a debris field. No survivors or victims had been located by late yesterday afternoon with a Navy ship and the MV Athena continuing to search.