Two children are among three migrants reported dead in the English Channel by French authorities overnight, according to local officials.
The deadly incident unfolded off the coast of Pas-de-Calais Tuesday night into Wednesday, the region’s prosecutor Laurent Touvet said at a news conference in Boulogne-sur-Mer on Wednesday.
Those who died were “likely crushed at the bottom of the boat”, which had a total of 38 people on board, he added. They were brought to shore by rescue services at around 5am.
According to French media, a third boat also got into difficulty.
“Smuggler networks bear the responsibility for these tragedies. The state is determined to combat them,” the prosecutor’s office said in a post on X.
They thanked police, firefighters, civil protection volunteers, and sea rescue services for scrambling to aid the boats.
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It comes a day after a woman was confirmed dead as a result of “small boat activity” in the same waters.
Kent Police said the woman was airlifted to land just after 1pm on Tuesday but was pronounced dead shortly after.
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