Baby Dies, 65 Rescued as Migrants Boat Sinks in France
Written by News Desk on October 18, 2024
A baby has died after a boat attempting to cross the English Channel sank on Thursday night, French authorities say.
Officials said the overloaded boat carrying migrants started sinking off the coast of Wissant in northern France.
Rescuers called to the scene saved 65 people, including some who were in the water.
Searches to find more people at sea found an unconscious baby, who was later declared dead, officials said.
The local prefecture said in a statement: “Rescuers found that the boat, which was heavily loaded, was in difficulty and that some of the people were in the water.
“Rescuers began to recover the people in difficulty.
“At the same time, further searches were carried out to find people who could be stranded at sea.”
It was then that the baby was discovered, the prefecture added. Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the death.
2024 is already the deadliest year for migrant crossings of the English Channel since 2018.
Culled from BBC
