As many as 40 immigrants from Sri Lanka have been stranded in Lhoknga in the district of Aceh Besar, in the Sumatran province of Aceh after the engine of their boat broke down.

The Lhoknga district military chief, Major Darul Amin, said the boat measuring 17 meters in length and five meters in width, with number TN-1-FV-00455.09, was on its way to Australia from Sri Lanka.

Amin, flanked by an officer from the Navy, said he had checked the documents of adults, women and children.

Their health was fine and they were now still on the boat around 400 meters from the coast of Lhoknga, he said.

"They cannot as yet disembark and are waiting for permission from the immigration office," he said.

Because of engine trouble they could not proceed to Australia and so were stranded in Aceh.

(Antara News)