One person is dead and another is critically injured after a boat carrying more than 60 migrants sank in the Channel near France during the course of Thursday and Friday night as they attempted to reach Britain, according to French maritime authorities.
According to the authorities, of the 66 individuals who were found, “one unconscious victim, in critical condition, was taken by helicopter to the hospital in Calais,” and another “could not be revived.”
It was discovered throughout the night that a migrant boat was having problems less than eight kilometers (five miles) from the coast, alerting the French sea rescue coordinators at Griz Nez, close to Calais.
About 30 minutes after midnight (2330 GMT), a rescue vessel arrived in the region, according to maritime authorities.
The crew returned to Calais with everyone they could find after discovering that one of the migrant boat’s buoyancy tubes had “deflated” and that individuals were “in the water.”
There are still boats and planes searching for survivors, and Gerald Darmanin, the interior minister of France, is scheduled to arrive in Calais on Friday morning.
The risky small-boat passage of the English Channel from France by tens of thousands of people annually has made the problem a political priority for the British government and a point of conflict between London and Paris.
There has been a significant loss of life; two years ago, one of the worst-ever sinkings claimed the lives of 27 people.
A man and woman drowned after a migrant boat carrying sixty passengers sank in late November.
Additionally, six Afghans perished in August of this year after their little boat overturned.
According to French officials, the average number of passengers on boats is almost twice as high as it was two years ago, with an average of 53.
According to British official statistics through the end of November, over 28,000 migrants had crossed the Channel since the beginning of this year, up from nearly 46,000 during the same period previous year.
AFP
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has summoned Ushie Rita Uguamaye, a corps member serving in Lagos State, following her… Read More
Nigerian actress Annie Idibia has reportedly left the rehabilitation center where she had sought refuge following the devastating collapse of… Read More
Mr. Fatai Odunsi, father of popular Nigerian singer Asake, has revealed that the artist has promised to settle his hospital… Read More
Adijat Ajoke, the woman claiming to have an 11-year-old daughter, Zeenat, for Nigerian singer Ahmed Ololade, aka Asake, has finally… Read More
A Nigerian medical laboratory scientist, identified as Peace, has been left devastated after her fiancé abruptly canceled their wedding just… Read More
Nollywood actor Uzor Arukwe has been making waves with his standout performance in Omoni Oboli’s romantic drama, Love in Every… Read More
This website uses cookies.