A boat carrying migrants attempting to cross the English Channel from northern France broke apart on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of 12 individuals, authorities confirmed.
The incident is being described as the deadliest migrant boat accident in the Channel this year.
According to officials, the boat’s bottom ripped open, causing it to rapidly sink. Many of the victims, who included women and some minors, were reportedly without life preservers. The challenging conditions of the Channel, including strong currents and cold temperatures, made the situation particularly perilous.
“If people don’t know how to swim in the agitated waters … it can go very quickly,” said Olivier Barbarin, mayor of Le Portel near Boulogne-sur-Mer.
The accident has intensified concerns over the safety of migrants attempting to cross to the UK, especially given the frail and overcrowded nature of the vessel involved.
On Tuesday, rescuers recovered 65 people from the Channel after an extensive four-hour operation involving helicopters, planes, fishing boats, and other vessels. Twelve survivors were hospitalized, with two in critical condition. Adam Beernaert, director of the Civil Protection authority, emphasized the trauma experienced by the survivors and cautioned against such dangerous crossings.
This incident follows a series of tragic migrant boat accidents in the English Channel this year, including previous incidents in July, April, and January. The vessel involved in Tuesday’s accident was identified as an inflatable boat, which may have contributed to its failure to withstand the Channel’s conditions.
In a related incident, a boat carrying migrants capsized off the Libyan coast in the Mediterranean, resulting in one death and 22 people missing, according to Libyan authorities.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who visited the site of the shipwreck, highlighted the precarious conditions of the boat, which was reportedly less than 7 meters (23 feet) long. Darmanin stressed the need for improved international cooperation to address the smuggling networks responsible for these dangerous crossings.
The leaders of France and the UK recently agreed to enhance cooperation on managing illegal migration across the Channel. UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned the criminal smuggling operations and reiterated the importance of dismantling these networks to prevent further tragedies.
Recent data from the UK Home Office shows that over 2,100 migrants attempted to cross the English Channel in the past week.
With input from the Associated Press.
