Aylan Kurdi's father potentially 'people smuggler'

  • 11/09/2015
Abdullah Kurdi (Reuters)
Abdullah Kurdi (Reuters)

An Iraqi woman says the father of a three-year-old boy whose body washed up on a Turkish beach was a people smuggler.

A photo of the drowned toddler's body drew international outrage and attention to the refugee crisis in Syria.

Aylan Kurdi's father told the media the captain of the ship jumped overboard when it hit a wave, and then capsized.

Zainab Abbas's two children were killed on the boat, and her cousin has translated her story to Australia's Channel 10.

"It was Abdullah Kurdi driving the boat," she says. She says she was assured the trip would be safe as the driver of the boat was going to bring his "two kids and his wife" as well.

She is now pleading for the Australian government to give her asylum.

RadioLIVE