The Immigration Department has confirmed a riot has broken out at Christmas Island's detention centre following the death of an asylum seeker who had escaped.
A man claiming to be detained at the Christmas Island centre has told SBS World News, the rioters are mainly New Zealander nationals being held at the facility.
The man said SERCO guards have abandoned the centre and "there is no security".
"People are destroying everything that can be destroyed," he said.
The detainee said fires have broken out and the medical centre has been destroyed.
He added that the rioters have breached offices, and damaged the canteen and kitchen facilities.
"The place is a disaster zone," he said.
He said rioters have "gone through the walls" of the compounds.
Immigration Department 'working to resolve situation'
The Immigration Department said any criminal offences would be referred to the police.
"The Department and its service providers are working together to resolve the situation," a spokesperson told SBS World News.
"The Department will not speculate on the motivations of those involved.
"The Department is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for detainees, and maintaining the good order of detention facilities."
The riot followed the death of an asylum seeker, believed to be Iranian Kurdish Fazel Chegeni, whose body was found by the AFP on Sunday following his escape from the detention centre on Friday.
No injuries have been reported and initial reports of damage are being assessed, the Department spokesperson said.
'They are going to bash us and break bones'
New Zealand Labour MP Kelvin Davis, who recently visited the island, said he has been told by a New Zealander held at the centre that detainees have staged a two-hour riot.
In Twitter posts written on Monday morning, Mr Davis said: "BREAKING; Christmas Island Detainees are rioting. They've had enough."
A further update, also carrying the #freethe501s hash tag, explained that the fight broke out after a detainee was allegedly attacked after inquiring about the death of the asylum seeker.
The MP said guards had fled the centre leaving detainees scared for their safety.
"They're scared they'll be shot," he tweeted.
He quoted the detainee as saying: "The guards have disappeared. We can't see them."
"They are going to bash us and break bones. Get someone over here to check our injuries as evidence."
New Zealand detainee Ricky Downs said guards have abandoned the centre after clashes broke out.
"The canteen's been smashed to pieces, there's no security, there's no emergency response team, there's no border patrol, there's no guards, there's nothing," he told Auckland's TVNZ.
"They're not here. They've gone. They freaked out and left, I think."
Calls for independent investigation
A coroner will investigate the death of the Iranian Kurdish asylum seeker, named by refugee groups as Fazel Chegeni.
But the Greens party are calling for an independent investigation into the immigration detention network following a death and subsequent riot on Christmas Island.
Deputy Greens leader Adam Bandt said he doesn't trust the information being provided by the Immigration Minister Peter Dutton.
"I don't believe what Minister Dutton says about what is happening under his watch," he said.
"Mr Dutton's first response to everything is to accuse everyone else of lying and yet he's been caught out time and time again of having misled the public himself. So, we need a full and independent investigation into what's going on but ultimately we need to stop locking people up indefinitely when all they're doing is coming here seeking our help."
Opposition immigration spokesman Richard Marles described the man's death as a tragic incident.
"It is important we determine exactly what happened and what the circumstances of his death were," he said in a statement.
Former immigration minister Scott Morrison said the death as a disturbing and distressing event.
Alarm should have been raised earlier
Spokesman for the Refugee Action Coalition, Ian Rintoul said the alarm should have been raised earlier over Fazel Chegeni's disappearance.
"I think perhaps if there'd been a more concerted effort, I mean he has been missing and has been reported missing by his fellow detainees two days ago," he told SBS World News.
"Perhaps if there'd been a more concerted attempt to find him he wouldn't be dead. I just think it's one of the examples where, whether it's in detention, the whole thing is an instance where there has not been a proper duty of care to this man."
President of the Christmas Island shire, Gordon Thomson, said he is upset no further information has been provided about the man's escape and subsequent death.
"I'm very sad to hear that someone's died, I want that recorded, and I'm very very disappointed that the Department has allowed rumour to spread through the community over the last three days, two and a half days, without providing any information about what underpins that rumour," he told the ABC.
