At least 12 migrants including a pregnant woman are dead after their small boat capsized in the English Channel, according to authorities in France.
Scores of people attempting to reach the UK plunged into the treacherous waters of the channel on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, the bottom of the boat ripped open,” said Olivier Barbarin, mayor of Le Portel near the fishing port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, where a first aid post was set up to treat victims. “It’s a big drama.”
The BBC reported that the mayor had confirmed a pregnant woman was among the 12 people who died. Those who perished also included children.
Meanwhile, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin confirmed that those killed in the incident included “about 10 women, some of whom were minors”.
The Home Secretary has described the deaths as “horrifying and deeply tragic”.
Firefighters help injured migrant in Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern France on September 3
AFP via Getty Images
Yvette Cooper said: “What has happened off the coast at Le Portel is a horrifying and deeply tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the loved ones of all those who have lost their lives, and all those who have been seriously injured.
“I am in touch with my counterpart in France, Gerald Darmanin, and am being kept updated on the situation.
“We pay tribute to the French coastguard and emergency services who undoubtedly saved many lives, but sadly could not save everyone. We will await the results of the French investigation into how this particular incident unfolded.
“The gangs behind this appalling and callous trade in human lives have been cramming more and more people onto increasingly unseaworthy dinghies, and sending them out into the Channel even in very poor weather.
“They do not care about anything but the profits they make, and that is why – as well as mourning the awful loss of life – the work to dismantle these dangerous and criminal smuggler gangs and to strengthen border security is so vital and must proceed apace.”
A maritime rescue official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss details of the operation confirmed that at least 12 migrants were dead.
Etienne Baggio, a spokesman for the French maritime prefecture that oversees that stretch of sea, said “more than 10” people were dead but he did not have an exact number. The prefecture said the boat got into difficulty off Gris-Nez point.
Both Mr Baggio and the mayor said rescuers recovered 61 people from the waters.
Sea temperatures off northern France were around 20C (about 68F).
Broadcaster BFMTV earlier reported that 10 people were in critical condition after a boat sank off the coast at Wimereux.
Maritime authorities say medical teams have rushed to the scene.
The boat was carrying dozens of people and got into trouble, the maritime authority that covers that coastline reported.
PA Wire
In a sign of the severity of the situation, CNews television said outgoing French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin was expected on site later in the afternoon.
In a post on X he wrote: “Terrible shipwreck in Pas-de-Calais, off Wimereux. The provisional toll stands at 12 dead, two missing and several injured. All government services are mobilised to find the missing and take care of the victims. I go to the elected officials and the emergency services.”
Tackling illegal immigration has been a priority for both the British and French governments.
More than 2,000 people have arrived in Britain on small boats over the past seven days, according to UK government figures.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to work closer together to dismantle migrant smuggling routes.
The Channel is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and currents are strong, making the crossing on small boats dangerous. In August, two people were found dead after a boat carrying migrants trying to cross the Channel ran into difficulties.
The International Organisation for Migration, which records Channel crossing deaths as part of its Missing Migrant Project, estimates 226 people including 35 children are missing or have died after attempting the crossing as of January this year.
According to the French coastguard, there have been at least 19 deaths in 2024 prior to Tuesday’s incident, including nine since the start of July.
Last year, 12 migrants are thought to have died or were recorded as missing.
Reacting to the deaths in the Channel on Tuesday, Refugee Council chief executive Enver Solomon said: “The number of deaths in the Channel this year has been shockingly high.
“It is a devastating trend that shows the urgent need for a comprehensive and multi-pronged approach to reduce dangerous Channel crossings.
“Enforcement alone is not the solution. Heightened security and policing measures on the French coast have led to increasingly perilous crossings, launching from more dangerous locations and in flimsy, overcrowded vessels.
“In addition to taking action against the criminal gangs themselves, the Government must develop a plan to improve and expand safe routes for those seeking safety.”
James Cleverly said the deaths in the Channel were “tragic” and cannot continue.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, the shadow home secretary said: “This is tragic and it cannot continue.
“It is not enough to talk about ‘smashing the gangs’ when the real-life consequences are so serious.
“Labour must re-establish the deterrent that the NCA said we need to stop vulnerable people being exploited and secure our border.”
