By admin Lille:
A child died in the English Channel off the coast of France on Thursday evening when an overloaded boat carrying migrants bound for Britain sank, French maritime authorities said on Friday.
The accident occurred near the French town of Wissant, maritime authorities responsible for the English Channel and the North Sea told AFP, adding that 65 people were rescued, but “an unconscious child was found and unfortunately he was pronounced dead.”
The latest sinking brings the number of migrants who have died this year while trying to cross the English Channel to at least 52, a record since 2018.
On September 3, six children and the same number of adults died. A month later, a two-year-old boy and three adults died after overloaded boats ran into trouble during a dangerous crossing.
The number of migrants arriving by boat in the UK has averaged 53 this year, up from 13 in 2020, according to official UK figures.
According to data from the British Home Office, over 26,000 migrants have arrived on British shores since January 1.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)