Three people have died attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat on Sunday morning, the French coastguard says.
People ended up in the water after trying to board a boat off the coast of Sangatte, northern France, at about 06:00 local time (05:00 GMT).
About 45 were given treatment on the beach, many suffering from hypothermia, and four were taken to hospital.
It has been the deadliest year on record for Channel crossings.
The Home Office confirmed there had been an incident in French waters and that French authorities were leading the investigation.
“It never stops,” the mayor of Sangatte Guy Allemand told AFP. “It’s crossing after crossing, without any let-up.”
He said seven people had needed intensive care after the incident.
Pierre-Henri Dumont, MP for the Pas de Calais region told the BBC: “Our rescue teams are very good and can get to the area very fast, but at this time of year, with the temperature of the water dropping, spending even a few minutes in the water can be deadly.”
More than 36,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year, surpassing the 2023 total of 29,437, government figures suggest.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency which tracks the number of people who die crossing the Channel, says 77 people have died attempting to make the journey this year.
The Home Office has said it will “stop at nothing” to dismantle people smuggling operations, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer making “smashing the gangs” who facilitate the crossings one of his top priorities.
+ There are no comments
Add yours