At least 27 people have died after a boat believed to be carrying asylum seekers crashed in Australian waters. More than 40 people were rescued. The passengers were believed to be Iranians and Iraqis seeking asylum in Australia. Their boat was apparently trying to reach Christmas Island, where Australia has an immigration detention center. A witness said the crash was “terrifying.”

Witness: “It was terrifying to watch it, and there was nothing — nothing — we can do. You don’t know. They were lying down. They were obviously very, very sick. Some of them weren’t even moving, that would have been so sick. But I saw children on that boat. I saw children. And I can hear children screaming.”