Two dead in English Channel tragedy after migrant boat sinks

Two people have died after a migrant boat sank in the English Channel on Wednesday morning, French maritime authorities have said. Around 50 people are believed to have been on board when the migrant boat sank shortly after 8am, with dozens of people ending up in the water.

The French maritime prefecture for the Channel and the North Sea said another 46 migrants were rescued after the incident off the coast of Sangatte, near Calais.

French authorities said the overcrowded boat hit trouble on the English Channel, around 2km from the shoreline. The rescue operation was launched after the French officials spotted a life jacket floating in the water.

The two victims were provided with first aid after being rescued but were pronounced dead by medics when taken ashore in Calais.

Both French and British rescue services are involved in the rescue operation, as searches continue for any missing people.

The UK Border Force also confirmed it "is actively engaged in a search and rescue operation".

Nearby ships were called to help while rescue boats and helicopters were also deployed, according to the maritime prefecture.

Ferries between Dover and Calais are disrupted - with P&O, DFDS, and Irish Ferries warning of long delays of up to two hours this morning due to the ongoing rescue operations.

The public prosecutor's office in nearby Boulogne-sur-Mer has launched an investigation into the incident.

This follows another tragedy in the Channel on Thursday night after a 40-day-old baby died when another boat sank. Maryam Bahez is believed to have been born as her family travelled from Iraqi Kurdistan through Europe with the hopes starting a new life in the UK.

Officials said the overloaded boat carrying migrants started sinking off the coast of Wissant in northern France.

The French authorities said that 68 people were packed onto the small boat, mainly of Iranian, Iraqi, Albanian, and Eritrean nationality. The boat carried 52 men, 12 women and four children.

2024 is already the deadliest year for migrant crossings of the English Channel since 2018. The latest tragedy has brought the death toll so far this year to at least 54 people.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he is "absolutely determined" to "smash" the smuggling gangs facilitating the crossings.

According to Home Office figures, more than 26,000 migrants have arrived in Britain on small boats since the start of the year. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said deaths in the Channel are "preventable".