AT LEAST five migrants have died in an attempt to cross the English Channel today, according to reports.
The French coast guard confirmed there was a failed attempt to cross the Channel and said police were operating at a beach following the incident this morning.
AFPStock image of migrants traveling in an inflatable boat across the English Channel[/caption]
They had been crossing from an area near the town of Wimereux, local newspaper La Voix du Nord said.
The spokesperson said she could not say how many people were concerned but added there were several “lifeless bodies”.
The coast guard spokesperson said its agents were still operating at sea on Tuesday morning after what the official called a “busy” morning, with several crossing attempts.
An emergency operation was launched by the French coastguard and by 11am at least five people were reported drowned off the coast at Boulogne sur Mer.
Many others were being rescued and taken to the beach at Wimereux, near Boulogne.
Witnesses say the father of a four-year-old girl is among the survivors, and was seen in tears on the beach.
It’s believed at least one child is among the dead, according to a local charity.
Olivier Ternicien, president of Osmose 62, which is based at Boulogne, said: “A child has died. A third helicopter has just arrived, we fear the worst.”
The Channel between France and Britain is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and currents are strong, making the crossing on small boats dangerous.
People smugglers typically overload rickety dinghies, leaving them barely afloat and at risk of being lashed by the waves as they try to reach British shores.
Illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson said reports of further deaths in the English Channel were “absolutely chilling”.
Asked about the reports on ITV‘s Good Morning Britain, he said: “It is absolutely chilling to hear that.
“We have had fatalities now in the Channel for nine consecutive months.”
The last fatalities in the Channel happened on January 14 when five migrants died while trying to make the treacherous journey across the 21-mile Dover Straits.
Home Office figures showed that more than 2,000 migrants have arrived in the UK this year after making the journey from France.
It comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is scrambling to get deportation flights going to Rwanda in a bid to deter small boat journeys.
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