Australian Authorities intercepted a boat carrying 49 suspected asylum seekers and four crew off Australia's north coast on Tuesday, Australian Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said.

The boat, the 14th boat carrying suspected asylum seekers that were intercepted by Australian police this year, was intercepted six kilometers southeast of Ashmore Reef.

O'Connor said in a statement the passengers would be transferred to Christmas Island, an Australian territory which is 2,600 km northwest of Perth, the state capital of West Australia.

"They will undergo health, security, identity and other checks to establish their identity and reasons for travel," the home affairs minister said.

The Australian National Audit Office revealed on Tuesday the cost of Christmas Island's detention facility blew out by more than 100 million dollars (79 million U.S. dollars) because it was approved before the final design plans had been drafted.

Source: Xinhua