CALAIS — Four migrants died on Thursday while attempting to board a small boat to cross the English Channel from northern France to Britain, French authorities said.
Two men and two women were swept away by currents near Equihen-Plage, close to Boulogne-sur-Mer, during the incident involving what local officials described as a “taxi-boat,” the Pas-de-Calais prefecture reported. Another person was treated for hypothermia, authorities added. The nationalities of the deceased were not immediately known, according to prosecutor Cécile Gressier.
The Pas-de-Calais prefecture stated at a news conference that the four people “tried to get on board the taxi boat, but the currents in the water, which can be dangerous here, transported them away.” The death toll was described as provisional as the situation continued to be assessed.
French maritime authorities and rescue services launched a large operation after the incident was reported shortly after 7 a.m. local time. Onlookers reported seeing bodies in the water near Ecault beach, according to local media accounts.
This marked the latest fatal incident in small-boat crossings of the English Channel, following two deaths earlier in the week near Gravelines involving migrants attempting to board an inflatable dinghy. Those earlier fatalities brought the reported number of such deaths this year to six, according to French officials.
Small boats departing from French beaches have been used by thousands of migrants seeking to reach the United Kingdom in recent years. Crossings have continued despite joint UK-French efforts to curb them, including extended bilateral agreements on migration cooperation.
UK and French authorities have previously noted the risks posed by overloaded vessels, strong currents and cold waters in the busy shipping lane. No immediate details were available on the total number of people involved in Thursday’s attempt or the condition of any other participants.
As of Thursday evening, French authorities continued operations at the scene. The UK Home Office had no immediate comment on the incident. Details on the full circumstances and any ongoing rescue efforts remained subject to change, officials said.
