A 10-year-old child and two women in their 30s have died after a small boat faced trouble while attempting to cross the English Channel.
As confirmed by French authorities, the incident occurred off Bleriot Plage beach near Calais on Monday, September 28, morning after the boat, carrying 105 people, departed from the northern French coast.
French maritime police received a distress call from the inflatable vessel, which had run into trouble in calm seas.
A rescue ship and French Navy helicopter were dispatched to the scene. Three passengers were treated on board but were later confirmed dead by an emergency medical team. The cause of death was likely crushing due to overcrowding, not drowning.
Authorities have opened an investigation after around 100 survivors were brought to the port of Calais, where nine others required non-critical medical attention.
The tragedy comes as two Albanians were among 10 people arrested after a boat carrying migrants arrived at a Cornish harbour on Sunday, September 27. The group was spotted getting off the boat at Mylor Harbour near Falmouth before leaving in a van. Immigration Enforcement is leading the investigation.
The statistics reported by the Home Office revealed that around 18,609 people have successfully crossed the Channel so far this year, with more than 700 arriving on Wednesday alone. This marks the highest single-day figure this year.
2026-09-28 18:36:00
