One person has died and two people are missing after a small boat incident in the Channel, the French coastguard has confirmed.
A statement from the organisation said the French navy had carried out four rescue operations on Wednesday, using boats and a helicopter, assisting around 180 people.
But one person rescued was unable to be resuscitated and two people have yet to be found in the water.
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A spokesperson for the UK Home Office earlier confirmed an incident had taken place, adding: “French authorities are leading the response and investigation.
“We will not be commenting further at this stage.”
A total of 290 people have made the dangerous crossing in the past week, according to statistics from the Home Office.
It brings the total number this year up to 2,006 people.
Chief executive of the Refugee Council, Enver Solomon, said: “Our thoughts go out to the families of those affected by the tragic loss of life in the English Channel this afternoon and to all those who valiantly answered the distress call.
“This is yet another avoidable human tragedy.”
He called on the government to “rethink its approach” to tackling small boat crossings – including scrapping the Rwanda plan – saying more deaths will take place otherwise.
“We need a plan to provide sanctuary for those fleeing persecution, violence and torture without having to take dangerous journeys by expanding options for family reunion, introducing refugee visas and putting in place an agreement with the French government to give people a fair hearing and treat them with dignity and humanity,” Mr Soloman added.
It is very sad to hear about this. My condolences to the family and friends of the victim.
I wonder what caused the boat to capsize. Was it bad weather or human error?
This is a tragedy that could have been avoided. The government needs to do more to regulate small boat travel.
It’s ironic that this happened in the Channel, which is usually a safe place to travel.
Well, at least the boat didn’t sink.
I can’t believe this happened. It’s like something out of a movie.
This is a reminder that we should never take safety for granted, even when we are on the water.
The authorities are investigating the incident, and I hope they can determine what happened and prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
My thoughts are with the victim’s family and friends. This is a heartbreaking loss.
I wonder if the boat was overloaded or if the passengers were wearing life jackets.