PARIS (Reuters) – Eight individuals have died making an attempt to cross the Channel from France to England, French authorities mentioned on Sunday, confirming earlier media stories.
This newest incident follows the deaths of 12 individuals earlier this month when their boat capsized within the Channel on its solution to Britain and highlights the stress on the British and French governments to search out methods to deal with the boat crossings.
Jacques Billant, the Prefect of the Pas-de-Calais area, mentioned that rescue crews had been alerted {that a} boat with 59 individuals onboard was in issue in waters off the coast of Ambleteuse within the Pas-de-Calais space.
“A brand new drama happened round one within the morning and we deplore the loss of life of eight individuals,” he instructed a information convention, including that the opposite 51 onboard had been now within the care of rescue and medical crews.
The useless had been males from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Egypt, Iran and Afghanistan, he added.
The Channel is likely one of the world’s busiest delivery lanes and currents are robust, which makes crossing on small boats harmful.
The newest incident brings to 46 the quantity of people that have died making an attempt to cross the Channel from France because the begin of the yr, Billant mentioned.
On September 14 alone there have been eight makes an attempt to cross the Channel from France and a few 200 migrants had been rescued, he mentioned.
