A minimum of two individuals are lacking and dozens rescued after a ship travelling from France to Britain capsized.
A minimum of 12 individuals have died and dozens have been rescued after the boat they had been travelling on capsized throughout an try to cross the English Channel, authorities mentioned.
French Inside Minister Gerald Darmanin mentioned Tuesday that 12 individuals had died and rescue operations had been underway to seek out two individuals nonetheless lacking.
He mentioned he would journey to the positioning, close to the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer, later within the afternoon.
“Sadly, the underside of the boat broke,” defined Olivier Barbarin, mayor of Le Portel, close to Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Etienne Baggio, spokesman for the French maritime prefecture that oversees that stretch of sea, mentioned rescuers had pulled 65 individuals from the water.
Baggio described it because the deadliest tragedy involving a migrant boat within the English Channel this yr. Lots of these on board weren’t carrying life jackets, he mentioned. It was not instantly clear how the boat broke open or what sort of vessel it was. Some are attempting to cross in inflatable boats.
The maritime prefecture mentioned the ship had run into hassle close to the tip of Gris-Nez, between Boulogne-sur-Mer and the port of Calais additional north.
Sea temperatures off the northern coast of France had been round 20 levels Celsius (68 levels Fahrenheit).
UK House Secretary Yvette Cooper referred to as the deaths “horrible and deeply tragic”.
In an announcement, Cooper criticized the “gangs behind this heinous and merciless commerce in human lives,” including that they “care about nothing however the income they make.”
A minimum of 30 refugees and migrants have died or gone lacking whereas attempting to cross into the UK this yr, in line with the Worldwide Organisation for Migration.
A minimum of 2,109 individuals have tried to cross the English Channel in small boats prior to now seven days, in line with up to date House Workplace figures on Tuesday.
The info consists of individuals discovered within the canal or upon arrival.
