By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
LONDON/PARIS (Worthy News) – Six children and a pregnant woman were among at least 12 people who died after a boat carrying dozens of asylum seekers to Britain was “ripped open, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
Tuesday’s incident was one of the deadliest Channel migration tragedies so far. French authorities said that 10 of those who lost their lives were female, and many were believed to be from Eritrea, a nation where Christians face persecution, Worthy News learned.
The French interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, said more than 50 people had been rescued. He said among them were two who were in critical condition from the “terrible shipwreck” off Cap Gris-Nez on Tuesday morning.
According to French officials, only eight of the 70 passengers wore lifejackets.
Yet there was some hope with over 53 survivors plucked from waters off Gris-Nez point, between Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer, during a major air and sea rescue operation, officials said.
A nearby rescue vessel was reportedly joined by two fishing boats, a French Navy vessel, and local lifeboats.
‘DEEPLY TRAGIC’
Yvette Cooper, Britain’s Home Secretary, described the incident as “horrifying and deeply tragic,” adding that French services “undoubtedly saved many lives, but sadly could not save everyone.”
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that at least 189 migrants died in the English Channel between 2018 and 19 August 2024.
Before Tuesday’s incident, 30 people had already died crossing the Channel in 2024 – the highest figure for any year since 2021, when 45 deaths were recorded, the IOM said.
In November 2021, at least 27 migrants died after a dinghy sank, the highest recorded number of deaths from a single incident.
Despite the dangers, people risk their lives to reach Britain on often shaky, overcrowded boats.
As of September 2, some 21,403 people had crossed the Channel in 2024. That’s more than in the previous year’s period but less than in 2022, official data shows.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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