A wooden boat packed with 70 suspected asylum seekers capsized off the coast of West Java in Indonesia on Tuesday drowning 17 people.

Fishermen recovered seven bodies from the water and 10 bodies were seen inside the capsized boat believed headed for Australia.

At least 37 other passengers were rescued off Pangandaran. The boat left the town of Cilacap early in the morning.

Ciamis Water Police Commissioner Samsudin Sudiana said strong winds and heavy seas overturned the boat carrying immigrants from Iran and Afghanistan, according to Sydney Morning Herald.

In their confessions to the police, the crew of the boat said they were heading to Kupang in West Timor, where they will sail to Christmas Island, Australia.

The accident was the worst since 50 asylum seekers were killed when their boat smashed into rocks in Christmas Island nearly one year ago.