The passengers, believed to be from Myanmar of Bangladesh, were found in 'weak condition' on board the boat on an uninhabited island by a fisherman early in the morning, Mr Islamuddin, the deputy mayor of Sabang island in Aceh province told AFP.

'The boat passengers were all men and none of them spoke Indonesian or English,' Mr Islamuddin said, adding that they had been taken to two hospitals on Sabang.

An official at one of Sabang's hospitals said the men were being treated for dehydration.

A staff member at Sabang's Navy hospital, who identified himself as Andi, said the men were from Myanmar but could not provide detailed information. -- AFP