One person has died and more than 60 others have been rescued after a small boat carrying migrants capsized while attempting to cross the English Channel overnight, French maritime authorities confirmed on Sunday.
The vessel broke apart near Boulogne-sur-Mer, a port city in northern France, prompting a major rescue operation involving both French and British teams. A total of 62 people were pulled from the water, according to the Maritime Prefect of the Channel and the North Sea.
Fifty survivors were taken aboard the French rescue tug Abeille Normandie, while two were recovered by a lifeboat from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and nine others by the Border Force Ranger. All were later transferred to the Abeille Normandie for further care.
A medical team on board the French tug confirmed the death of one of the individuals rescued by the RNLI.
Among the survivors were a child and his mother, both suffering from hypothermia. The pair were airlifted to hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer, while the remaining survivors were taken ashore at the port and placed under the care of French emergency services.
The incident comes days after one person died while attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat on 11 May, the French coastguard earlier said.
Overall, 68 people were rescued and brought back to the French port of Boulogne-sur-Mer by patrol boats at around 3am, while one person was declared dead. The authorities conducted a number of rescue operations over two days as several migrant boats attempted to cross the Channel.
The incidents come as UK prime minister Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron face mounting political pressure to stem the flow of irregular Channel crossings. The route, which spans roughly 21 miles at its narrowest point, has become a deadly corridor for people hoping to reach Britain in overcrowded and often unseaworthy vessels.
Additional reporting by agencies