At least 12 people, including 10 women and girls, have died after a migrant boat carrying dozens broke apart in the English Channel, local authorities reported.
The mayor of Le Portel, a French coastal town involved in the rescue, confirmed that “the bottom of the boat ripped open.” French coastguards managed to rescue over 65 individuals, several of whom needed emergency medical treatment.
Recent Home Office data reveals that at least 2,109 migrants have attempted the perilous journey in small boats over the past week.
France’s Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, has confirmed the death toll, noting that only eight of the 70 passengers were wearing lifejackets. UK officials have described the incident as “horrifying” and stressed the urgent need to dismantle the smuggler networks responsible for such tragedies.
