HONG KONG — More than two dozen people thought to be seeking asylum in Australia died Wednesday after their boat smashed into the rocks of Christmas Island, setting off a desperate rescue effort by the Australian authorities.

Twenty-seven bodies had been retrieved while another 41 passengers were pulled from the ocean, according to the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service. One person aboard the small boat reached the island independently, the agency said.

The search-and-rescue operation was continuing Wednesday evening, suggesting that the number of people aboard the boat may be higher than earlier estimates by local news media.