Middle: SIEV-221 shortly after initial collision; On 15 December 2010, an Indonesian fishing boat (known as the Janga and referred to as SIEV-221 by Australian Government authorities) carrying 89 asylum seekers and 3 crew members sank after being dashed against the rocks near Rocky Point, Christmas Island, an external Australian territory.

[8] The shores of Christmas Island consist of jagged cliffs and, even in good weather, there are few locations where a boat can safely off-load passengers.

[7] The monsoon season meant the seas around the island were very rough on the morning of 15 December 2010, with wind speeds of 20 to 30 knots and wave height of up to 4 meters.

[7] Australian Customs and Border Protection vessels HMAS Pirie and ACV Triton were coincidentally nearby, sheltering from the weather to the east of Christmas Island.

[10] Christmas Island residents could hear passengers on SIEV-221 screaming and calling for help as waves pushed the boat closer to the rocks.

[6] Around 60 residents of Christmas Island[10] gathered at the top of nearby cliffs and threw life jackets and other objects into the water.

On 24 February 2011, the orphans and their families were released into community detention on the Australian mainland pending the assessment of their asylum claims.

[19] An Iranian-born Australian named Ali Heydarkhani was later extradited to Australia and separately sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for organising asylum seeker boats including SIEV-221.

[16] Amateur video of the sinking of SIEV-221, captured by Christmas Island residents, was broadcast on the evening news in Australia on 10 December.

[25] Prime Minister Julia Gillard publicly blamed people smugglers for the tragedy,[26] and later cited the incident as one factor leading to the development of the Malaysian solution.

[27] Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said the incident "steeled the government's resolve to dissuade asylum seekers from getting on boats".

The Committee praised the search and rescue effort by Christmas Island residents and customs personnel as brave and selfless.

[29] The Committee recommended ongoing support and counseling for residents and survivors of the disaster, and that a permanent memorial be established on the island.

However, he criticised the lack of available rescue vessels on Christmas Island and the insufficient visual and radar surveillance of incoming boats.

[30] He concluded the disaster was "generally foreseeable" and another tragedy may occur so long as asylum seeker boats continue to travel to Christmas Island.

[30] Many residents of Christmas Island involved in the rescue efforts reported feelings of extreme helplessness and post-traumatic stress as a result of what they had witnessed.