The search and rescue operation at the second day on Sunday for about 217 missing migrants, as their wooden ship sank in waters off Trengglek district of East Java on Saturday, fails to find any one of them, a rescuer said.

The small ship was carrying 250 asylum seekers, most of whom are from the Middle East including Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and Iraq. 33 of them had been rescued, a rescuer named Purwanto from the East Java Search and Rescue Office Kelik Enggar Purwanto told Xinhua by phone from the district.

About 500 navy officers, marine policemen and sailors had combed the waters where the ship was predicted to be broken after being hit by huge waves, he said.

The searching involved two warships, two vessels and three helicopters, said Purwanto.

"Nevertheless, it fails to find any one of the missing persons today (Sunday), even the searching by helicopters was done to a far distance to the eastern of the ocean," he said.

The rescuer said that two vessels were still at sea continuing to search for the missing persons.

He said that the search and rescue would be conducted up to the seventh day, as usual.

The ship heading to Christmas island of Australia sank off at about 40 nautical miles from TPI Prigi beach of Trenggalek district at about 0200 GMT Saturday and victims were first found by sailors at 0800 GMT in the day, another rescuer Brian Gautama said.

Indonesia has been a favorable transit point for illegal immigrants from the Middle East heading to Australia for a better life.

However they are frequently confronted with accidents on the sea, as they take the journey with inadequate safety measures. High waves on the ocean could hit and collapse their boat, causing casualties.

Indonesia has set up cooperation with Australia to address the issue of illegal immigrants.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet