Key facts
- Two women died attempting to cross the English Channel from France to the UK on Saturday morning.
- A child was found suffering from moderate hypothermia and taken to hospital.
- The incident occurred overnight off the coast of northern France.
- About 100 people were on the makeshift boat when it encountered trouble.
- The two women died from suffocation, likely due to being crushed at the bottom of the boat.
- At least 25 people have died this year attempting the Channel crossing.
Two women died while attempting to cross the English Channel from France to the UK on Saturday morning, French authorities have reported. The incident occurred overnight off the coast of northern France when a makeshift boat carrying about 100 people encountered trouble.
French officials told AFP news agency that the two women died from suffocation, with one mayor suggesting they may have been crushed at the bottom of the boat. A child suffering from moderate hypothermia was taken to a hospital in Boulogne. Rescue services attempted to resuscitate the women but were unsuccessful.
According to the migrant aid association Utopia 56, the victims were a 16-year-old child and a 20-year-old woman. The boat, which had set out south of Neufchatel-Hardelot, reportedly experienced engine failure and drifted before running aground on a beach. Seventeen people were rescued at sea and taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer.
This is the latest in a series of tragedies involving migrants attempting the perilous journey. At least 25 people have died this year trying to cross the Channel. In a separate incident on Saturday morning, the body of another migrant was found in a canal in Gravelines.
France and the UK recently signed a new three-year deal aimed at deterring such crossings, which includes increasing French law enforcement personnel on the coast. Despite these efforts, hundreds of migrants have been seen preparing to cross from northern France.