Tragedy in English Channel: At least 12 migrants die and two are missing after overcrowded boat ‘ripped open’ and capsized
At least 12 people have died and two are missing after a boat carrying around 70 migrants ‘tore open’ and capsized in the Channel.
A major rescue operation is underway to save people from the water after the inflatable boat got into trouble off the coast of northern France.
The French Coast Guard initially confirmed that 10 people were in critical condition after the sinking.
Shortly after 11:30 a.m., rescue workers in helicopters and boats were deployed near Le Portel, a town of about 9,000 people.
All people on board the overcrowded dinghy ended up in the water. Outgoing French Minister Gérald Darmanin confirmed that the death toll had risen to at least 12 and that there were several injured at 2:30 p.m.
Olivier Barbarin, boss of Le Portel, near Boulogne-sur-Mer where victims are being treated, said: “Unfortunately the bottom of the boat has been torn open.”
Emergency services have been deployed to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais after a migrant boat capsized
A group of people believed to be migrants are being taken to Dover, Kent aboard the RNLI Lifeboat following an incident involving a small boat in the Channel on Tuesday
Firefighters treat the bodies of migrants who died trying to cross the Channel to England in Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern France, on September 3
The British Coast Guard said it was not involved in the rescue operation.
A spokesman said: ‘The British Coastguard received a report of a small boat in difficulty in the English Channel, in French waters north of Boulogne, at approximately 6.50am on 3 September.
‘The response was coordinated by the French authorities. Assistance offered by HM Coastguard was not required.’
According to TV channel France 3, the mayor of Le Portel, Olivier Barbarin, spoke of ‘about 10 people in cardiac arrest’.
Some of the rescued people were taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer, while others were taken by helicopter to Le Portel.
Emergency services arrived en masse to resolve the incident.
A spokesman for the French emergency services said rescue services were working off the coast, around the former hoverport at Le Portel, south of Boulogne-sur-Mer.
“On Tuesday morning, an overcrowded boat with about 70 migrants on board sank,” the spokesperson said.
“A Navy helicopter is bringing in victims who are in critical condition. Some appear to have suffocated. About 10 people are reported dead.”
The victims were also returned to Bassin Loubet in Boulogne-sur-Mer aboard a semi-rigid boat, the spokesman said.
The mayor of Le Portel, Barbarin, has closed the beach at the former hoverport to allow helicopters to land.
Frédéric Cuvillier, mayor of Boulogne-sur-Mer, said: “A new tragedy has just occurred on our territory, linked to the migration situation.”
“A boat with almost 70 people on board sank off our coast. The toll, unfortunately without being stabilized, is heavy with more than 10 victims and people in absolute emergency situations,” he said in a social media post.
He also told BFM Grand Littoral that this is the most serious tragedy in the Boulogne region.
The deaths of at least 12 migrants in the Channel are “appalling” and “deeply tragic”, British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said.
“What happened off the coast of Le Portel is a horrific and very tragic incident. Our condolences go out to the loved ones of all those who lost their lives and to all those who were seriously injured,” she added.
‘I am in contact with my counterpart in France, Gérald Darmanin, and am being kept informed of the situation.
‘We pay tribute to the French coastguard and emergency services who undoubtedly saved many lives, but unfortunately could not save everyone. We await the results of the French investigation into how this particular incident unfolded.
‘The gangs behind this appalling and unscrupulous trade in human lives are cramming more and more people into increasingly unseaworthy rowing boats and sending them out into the Channel even in very bad weather.
“They care about nothing but the profit they make, and that is why – as well as mourning the terrible loss of life – the work to dismantle these dangerous and criminal smuggling rings and strengthen border security is so essential and must continue apace.”
Outgoing French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin arrived at the scene around 4:45 p.m. and will speak to elected officials and emergency services before addressing the media about the incident.
In a message on X he said: ‘Terrible shipwreck in Pas-de-Calais, off the coast of Wimereux. The provisional death toll is 12, two missing and several injured.
Firefighters and civil protection officers stand next to bags containing the bodies of migrants
The tragic incident comes after French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged last week to work more closely together to dismantle migrant smuggling routes.
“All government services are being mobilized to find the missing and care for the victims. I am going to the elected officials and the emergency services.”
Steve Smith, CEO of Care4Calais said: ‘We are all devastated by this latest tragedy, and particularly our team in Calais. One life lost in the Channel is too many, but this year has seen such tragedies happen far more frequently and it is a deeply worrying trend that must be stopped.
‘The question that must be asked of all political leaders, on both sides of the Channel, is how many lives will be lost before an end is put to these avoidable tragedies?
‘Their continued obsession and investment in security measures does not lead to fewer border crossings, but only forces people to take ever greater risks.
“To have everyone do the same thing and expect a different outcome is political madness. It is time for politicians to be held accountable for their choice to dehumanize people seeking shelter from the horrors at home. It is time for them to put an end to these tragedies and introduce safe routes.”
Responding to the deaths in the Channel on Tuesday, Refugee Council Executive Director Enver Solomon said: “The number of deaths in the Channel this year is shockingly high.
‘It is a devastating trend which demonstrates the urgent need for a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach to reduce dangerous Channel crossings.
‘Enforcement alone is not the answer. Increased security and policing measures on the French coast have led to increasingly dangerous crossings, with crossings from more dangerous locations and in unstable, overcrowded vessels.
‘In addition to taking action against the criminal gangs themselves, the government must develop a plan to improve and expand safe routes for people seeking safety.’
The last deaths reported in the Channel occurred on August 11, when two more died during the perilous journey.
On Tuesday, an RNLI lifeboat docked in Dover with people on board, believed to be migrants, following an incident in the Channel.
Two male migrants died when a small boat capsized in the same area on Sunday, August 11 – the day 703 migrants crossed the Channel.
The tragedy left nine people dead under similar circumstances in July and August alone
The death toll in 2024 has now risen to at least 35 and the Boulogne Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal investigation into the deaths.
After a woman died of asphyxiation on board a migrant boat in July, an emergency services source said: “She was nowhere near the water but was crushed by the amount of people around her.
‘Migrants are drowning in the water, but the new phenomenon of people dying in the boats is becoming more and more serious.’
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer last week pledged to work more closely together to dismantle migrant smuggling routes.
The Channel is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world and currents are strong, making crossings with small boats dangerous.
Earlier on Tuesday, figures from the Home Office confirmed that 351 migrants had successfully made the crossing to Britain yesterday aboard six dinghies.
These numbers bring the total number of arrivals in 2024 to 21,403 persons in 409 boats.
