Three people, including a child, were killed off the French coast during a Channel crossing attempt, France’s maritime police said on Tuesday.
The coastguard received a distress call from an inflatable dinghy that was carrying 105 people at the time of the incident. The call was made while the vessel was navigating the English Channel, a route that has seen a surge of migrants attempting to reach Britain.
According to the police, the dinghy was in distress when it was found, and rescue crews were unable to save all of those on board. The fatalities were confirmed by the authorities, but details about the circumstances of the crash have not yet been released.
The English Channel has long been a perilous passage for those seeking to cross from continental Europe to the United Kingdom. Maritime authorities routinely monitor the area for vessels in distress and have stepped up patrols in recent months to address the growing number of people attempting the crossing.
France’s maritime police are continuing their search and rescue operations in the area, while officials are investigating the incident and will release further information as it becomes available.
<small>Source: Al Jazeera — read the original story there.</small>
