Residents of the northern region of Akkar briefly blocked on Tuesday several roads to protest officials' inaction over revealing the fate of the Lebanese who drowned in the sinking of an Australia-bound boat off Indonesia.

The residents demanded officials to assume their responsibilities and reveal the fate of their relatives.

The death toll from the sinking of an Australia-bound asylum-seeker boat off Indonesia rose to 39 Monday, an official said, although it was not yet clear the number of Lebanese who died in the incident.

The boat, which was estimated to be carrying between 80 and 120 Middle Eastern asylum seekers, went down on Friday in rough seas off Indonesia's main island of Java. It was headed for Australia's Christmas Island.

Some 106 people were plucked to safety from a sinking asylum-seeker boat off Australia Tuesday as rescuers averted disaster just weeks from an election in which boatpeople are a key issue.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) earlier reported a vessel with about 105 people on board was in trouble 120 nautical miles north of the Australian territory of Christmas Island.

Rescuers plucked 130 people from the ocean Wednesday after an asylum-seeker boat sank en route to Australia, barely a week after another vessel went down in the same area, killing up to 90.

The rickety ship capsized 107 nautical miles north of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said, adding that one person was confirmed dead so far.

Australia late Saturday ended a three-day search for survivors from a refugee boat accident off remote Christmas Island, with little hope for around 90 people still missing.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said searches of the sea north of the island had failed to find any more survivors, with the last living person found Thursday night.

Rescuers were on Saturday making a final search for survivors from a refugee boat accident off Australia's Christmas Island, with two more bodies found and little hope for around 90 people still missing.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said overnight and morning searches of the sea north of remote Christmas Island had failed to find any more survivors, with the last living person found late Thursday night.

Fears grew Friday that the death toll from a refugee boat disaster off Australia's Christmas Island could soar, as ships and aircraft scouring the seas for survivors found only more bodies.

So far 109 people have been rescued, a figure authorities revised down from 110, and three are confirmed dead after the vessel which was believed to be carrying around 200 asylum-seekers capsized in the Indian Ocean.

An asylum-seeker boat believed to be carrying 200 people capsized Thursday off remote Christmas Island with an unknown number of survivors, Australian authorities said.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said the ship issued a distress call mid-afternoon and capsized 120 nautical miles north of the Indian Ocean territory, some 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) from the Australian mainland.

Australian police Wednesday said they fired tear gas, sound and flash weapons and "bean bag" bullets to quell overnight riots at the Christmas Island immigration detention centre.

Immigration authorities said about 50 detainees were involved in the disturbance, which saw fires lit and police threatened with makeshift weapons at the centre, some 2,600 kilometers from Australia's mainland.