Four Small Boat Migrants Perish in English Channel
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed her dismay at the loss of life, calling it ‘truly awful,’ and pledged to take action against smuggler gangs.
According to French authorities, four migrants lost their lives on Friday while attempting to cross the English Channel to reach the UK.
The Maritime Prefect of the English Channel and the North Sea reported that another 56 individuals were rescued after their boat deflated, leaving many stranded at sea.
A French coast guard spokesperson stated separately that a total of 63 people were saved during the incident.
These tragic deaths on Friday bring the recorded death toll from small boat incidents since 2014 to an estimated 83 individuals.
Cooper reiterated that the loss of life is “truly awful.”
The deflated boat was discovered around 4:30 a.m. by the Minck rescue vessel, which was patrolling the Channel.
Additional vessels and a helicopter were dispatched to aid in the rescue efforts. A nearby fishing vessel also contributed to the operation.
Rescuers managed to retrieve four unconscious individuals, three from the sea and one from the boat wreck, but unfortunately, they could not be revived.
The prefecture stated that a further 56 individuals were rescued during the mission.
Reacting to the news, Cooper shared on the social media platform X: “The further loss of life in the Channel this morning is truly awful. My thoughts are with all those affected.”
“Criminal gangs are profiting greatly from endangering lives. We are ramping up our efforts with international partners to pursue & bring down these dangerous smuggler gangs,” she added.
Her predecessor James Cleverly also described the deaths as “a tragedy.”
“As a country, we must do everything in our power to prevent these boats and put an end to this despicable trade in human suffering,” he wrote on X.
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