At least 12 people have drowned after a small boat carrying around 70 migrants capsized in the English Channel on Tuesday, just off the northern coast of France near Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Local authorities said that several other people had been rescued but remain in a “serious condition,” and warned that the death toll could yet rise. At least two people are still reported to be “missing.”
“Unfortunately, the bottom of the boat ripped open,” said Olivier Barbarin, mayor of Le Portel, a suburb of Boulogne-sur- Mer, where a first-aid post was set up to treat victims.
The boat had reportedly been attempting to cross from France to the United Kingdom when it was spotted in difficulty by a French vessel, the Minck, which had gone to its aid before it broke up, the Minck’s captain told the AFP news agency.
Sea temperatures in the area were around 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit).
“It’s a huge drama,” said Mayor Barbarin of what is the most deadly single incident in the English Channel involving migrants this year. 25 people have already lost their lives attempting the crossing since January,
He said that the town’s out-of-use hoverport had been opened up for use by rescue helicopters.
According to the local Voix du Nord newspaper, the French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin is expected in Boulogne-sur-Mer this afternoon.
More to follow …
mf/wmr (AFP, AP)
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