Migrant boat crossing Channel from France capsizes

AFP / Denis Charlet

At least six individuals died, and greater than 50 had been rescued after a migrant boat making an attempt to cross the Channel from France capsized early on Saturday, native authorities mentioned.

Local mayor Franck Dhersin mentioned an unlimited rescue operation was launched round 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) as dozens of migrant boats tried to make the crossing on the similar time.

“Several of the boats were facing serious difficulties,” he informed Reuters. “Near (the coastal town of) Sangatte they unfortunately found dead bodies.”

The maritime prefecture confirmed that there had been a minimum of six deaths and mentioned search and rescue operations had been ongoing.

The Channel between France and Britain is without doubt one of the world’s busiest delivery lanes, and currents are sturdy, making the crossing on small boats harmful.

Human traffickers usually overload rickety dinghies, leaving them barely afloat and susceptible to being lashed by the waves as they attempt to attain British shores.

“We saved 54 people, including one woman,” mentioned Anne Thorel, a volunteer who was on one of many rescue boats, describing the migrants’ frantic efforts to bail water out of their sinking vessel utilizing their sneakers.

“There were too many of them on the (migrant) boat,” she informed Reuters by telephone as she returned to the shore.

Thorel, who shared an image of migrants on the rescue boat, wrapped in survival blankets, mentioned nobody died on the boat she was concerned with rescuing.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne mentioned junior Maritime Affairs Minister Herve Berville would head to Calais, close to the place one of many migrant boats capsized. “My thoughts are with the victims,” she posted on messaging platform X.

Britain’s coastguard mentioned it had despatched a lifeboat from Dover to help with the rescue, together with a coastguard rescue crew and ambulance employees.

UK authorities figures present that the variety of migrant Channel crossings for the reason that begin of 2018 exceeded 100,000 this week. The quantity up to now this yr stands at almost 16,000.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s authorities has spent the week making bulletins about its efforts to cut back the variety of asylum seekers, hoping to win assist from voters because the ruling Conservative Party trails in opinion polls.