A riot broken out at the Christmas Island detention center on Friday after some detainees were told that they were being taken to identify bodies from the boat crash on Wednesday, according to Australia's local media reports.

The West Australian newspaper reported that about 120 detainees at the center were involved in the Friday protest, including about a dozen children.

Police officers entered the compound to try to talk to the leaders of the riot as the detainees gathered in the corner of the center.

The Australian Department of Immigration is yet to confirm any protest action at the center.

Fairfax Radio said the riot appeared to have been triggered when people were taken to the centre for processing and eight Afghan detainees had escaped at approximately 01:30 p.m. local time.

Fairfax Radio and the Nine Network also reported on Friday that eight Afghan detainees had escaped the custody of immigration officers on the island.

A boat carrying up to 100 asylum seekers, mostly from Iraq and Iran, crashed against limestone rocks at Christmas Island, off the north-west coast of Australia on Wednesday.

So far, 42 people, including some children, were saved and 30 people were confirmed dead.