Boat explosion footage released

Footage of the explosion that killed five asylum seekers last week has been released by the Australian Navy.

Smoke is seen engulfing the boat, dubbed SIEV 36, off Ashmore Reef, in the 25-second video, which was released amid claims of a government cover-up.

Six men can be seen in the water trying to stay afloat until a Navy rescue crew arrives.

The explosion, which ripped apart and sank the boat carrying more than 40 asylum seekers last Thursday, was the result of a threat gone tragically wrong, senior government sources said.

PHOTOS: 'Burning bodies sent flying'

The ABC has reported senior sources have confirmed that asylum seekers on board the vessel doused its deck with petrol in an attempt to force the navy to let the boat land in Australia.

They reportedly feared being turned back to Indonesia.

The boat exploded on Thursday near Ashmore Island, northwest of the Australian mainland.

That afternoon West Australian Premier Colin Barnett said he understood the refugees on the boat spread petrol and that ignited "causing the explosion".

He said it was unclear how the flames ignited.

But senior government sources now say the explosion was an accident, describing it as a threat gone tragically wrong, the ABC reports.

A spokeswoman for Kevin Rudd told AAP the prime minister wouldn't be commenting on the claims.

Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus's office did not immediately return calls on Sunday night.

Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the government wouldn't release any information until it knew it was absolutely accurate.

"I understand people are thirsty for information and they want it as soon as it's available, but we can't give you the conclusions of a police investigation until the police have done their work," she told the Nine Network.

Ms Gillard also refused to comment on reports the navy is tracking another boat headed for Australian shores.

"We don't comment on operational matters, so I won't be commenting on that."

As doctors laboured to save the lives of asylum seekers severely burnt in the explosion, the federal coalition ramped up its attack on the government, accusing it of covering up crucial details.

Opposition frontbencher Peter Dutton said Labor had turned the incident into a "media management" issue.

"The government has deliberately withheld information over the course of the last couple of days, hiding behind the police investigation which is ongoing," he told Sky News.

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull said the Rudd government needed to give Australians the facts about the explosion.

"The time has come for (Prime Minister Kevin) Rudd to tell Australian people the truth - what did happen on that boat," Mr Turnbull said.

"The government knows the facts, they're getting hourly reports. We need to know precisely what happened."

Mr Barnett also called on the commonwealth to come clean with any information.

"There were many people at the site when this happened, two naval ships were in attendance, it was daylight hours," he said.

"I would think a great deal is known about what happened and I would hope that the federal government does make a more detailed statement to the Australian people.

"We are now three days on."

Meanwhile, Mr Rudd spoke to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Sunday afternoon, with the leaders vowing to increase their efforts to crack down on people smuggling operations.

"President Yudhoyono told the prime minister that, given the current situation, he was ready to bring the already good cooperation between Australian and Indonesian authorities even closer," Mr Rudd's spokesperson said.

The leaders believe the recent influx of boatpeople is due to conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, as well as the global financial crisis.

One of 68 Afghan migrants arrested by Indonesian authorities on Friday before setting sail for Australia has told the Seven Network one of the people smugglers he paid was an Australian.