Police, inmates stand-off at Christmas Island detention centre en

Riot police are moving to restore order at the Christmas Island detention centre following unrest sparked by the death of an asylum seeker.

It said five detainees were being assessed for treatment of non-life threatening injuries or medical conditions but it was “not known whether these injuries were sustained during the disturbance itself or during the resolution of the operation”. The cause of his death is under investigation.

Rintoul said that Chegeni had told other detainees that he could no longer stand being in detention and just wanted “to go outside”.

Immigration said it was yet to survey full damage of the centre but repairs would be “a priority”.

Refugee advocates said the riot broke out following the death of an asylum-seeker who escaped on Saturday.

It is part of Australia’s network of offshore processing centres for irregular migrants who arrive by boat, but also houses foreigners facing deportation after committing crimes in Australia.

Canberra has taken a hardline position on asylum seekers, sending many of them either to Christmas Island or detention centers on the isolated Pacific islands of Nauru and Papua New Guinea.

Fazel Chegeni, an Iranian Kurd, reportedly escaped from the detention facility on Friday. Though Peter Dutton, Australia’s immigration minister, described the circumstances around the death as “non-suspicious”, a small group of Iranians began a peaceful protest soon after the body’s discovery.

Detainees have armed themselves with chainsaws and machetes preparing for a possible confrontation with the guards, Tuka said.

“Police will look at that and they’ll determine whether or not charges should be preferred but that will take precedence”, Mr Dutton said.

Reports say that inmates lit fires, tore down fences and created barricades, while security guards abandoned the compound.

As well as asylum seekers, the detention centre is home to people waiting to be deported after spending time in jail and having their visas cancelled on character grounds.

The immigration department said all aspects of the facility were back under “complete and effectual control” after authorities used “some power”.

He said Mr Chegeni had been deemed a refugee two years ago but had been charged with assault following a fight with other detainees at the detention centre.

“To be honest, I don’t know if a few of them are still going to be alive in a couple of hours”, he said.

He said the initial violence has now subsided but those in the centre predict it could flare up again when staff return.

Asylum seekers in the camp have often been intercepted en route for mainland Australia.