12 dead, 50 rescued after migrant boat capsizes

12 dead, 50 rescued after migrant boat capsizes

At least 12 people have died, and over 50 others have been rescued after a boat carrying migrants capsized in the English Channel off the French coast.

A large search and rescue operation is currently underway, with the BBC reporting that 12 people have died and two others are missing, according to French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.

“Terrible shipwreck in Pas-de-Calais, off Wimereux. The provisional toll stands at 12 dead, two missing, and several injured,” Darmanin wrote on X.

He added that emergency services are working to locate those still missing and to care for the victims.

More than 50 people have been rescued, many of whom are receiving treatment in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

This incident marks the deadliest disaster in the Channel this year, which is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, the BBC added.

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So far this year, over 20,000 people have attempted the crossing from France to the UK.

UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the disaster as a “horrifying and deeply tragic incident.”

Cooper stated that she is being kept updated on the situation and paid tribute to the French rescue teams “who undoubtedly saved many lives, but sadly could not save everyone.”

“The gangs behind this appalling and callous trade in human lives have been cramming more and more people onto increasingly unseaworthy dinghies and sending them out into the Channel even in very poor weather. They do not care about anything but the profits they make, and that is why—as well as mourning the awful loss of life—the work to dismantle these dangerous and criminal smuggler gangs and to strengthen border security is so vital and must proceed apace,” she added.

According to the French coastguard, 53 people have been rescued from the incident earlier today, with 65 people recovered in total, including the 12 who died.

In a statement, the coastguard noted that several of the 53 survivors required urgent medical attention, and a medical post has been set up to care for them in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

12 dead, 50 rescued after migrant boat capsizes