An inquest in Perth has heard how asylum seekers who were left in the ocean for 14 hours after their boat sank had been scared by the state of the small wooden vessel they boarded.

The boat, which set out from Indonesia, was carrying more than 200 men and boys from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, when it overturned north of Christmas Island in June last year.There were 110 people rescued while 17 bodies were recovered and 85 people were missing, believed drowned.The Coroners Court was told Australian authorities received several distress calls from the boat, which were then passed on to Indonesian authorities who said they would handle the operation. The court heard recordings of muffled distress calls which the operator had difficulty hearing over wind noise. Someone on the boat said they had no life jackets but the operator struggled to get information on their location.