Boat was not tracked from Indonesia: Bowen

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen says a rumour the asylum seeker boat that crashed onto rocks at Christmas Island was tracked after it left Indonesia is untrue.

The bodies of 28 asylum seekers have been recovered so far after Wednesday morning's disaster.

Among the confirmed 42 survivors are three Indonesian crew members, the government says.

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The wooden Indonesian fishing boat had more than 70 people on board.

The men, women and children are believed to be of Iraqi, Iranian and Kurdish origin.

"The boat ... came to the attention of the relevant border protection agencies as it approached Christmas Island," Mr Bowen told Sky News on Thursday.

"But I think you've seen, and every Australian has seen, just how bad the seas were around Christmas Island at that time. They were treacherous seas which made contact made with that boat impossible."

Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor described the weather conditions as horrendous.

"There were ... cyclonic conditions. There were very high swells. There was low visibility," Mr O'Connor told reporters.

"Those who had fallen into the water and those that were engaged in the rescue were working in what was described as working in a washing machine of water. That's how rough the seas were."

Mr Bowen defended the speed with which the asylum seekers were given help, saying naval and Customs boats had to sail from a different part of the island where they had been sheltering from the poor weather.

"They were not at Flying Fish Cove. They were in a different part of the island some distance away.

"They were there because that is the best place to shelter during very, very rough seas. And they made it as quickly as possible to Flying Fish Cove to provide whatever assistance they could to the boat that was breaking up on the rocks."