PA Media/dpa
London
Eight migrants have died while trying to cross the English Channel overnight.
The French maritime prefecture for the English Channel and the North Sea said 53 migrants were on board a boat which got into difficulty off the coast of Ambleteuse in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France.
A rescue operation was launched but eight people were confirmed dead, the prefecture said in a statement.
Jacques Billant, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, told French media on Sunday that six people were taken to hospital "in relative emergency,” including a 10-month-old baby with hypothermia.
He said the boat "quickly” got into trouble after it set off, and appears to have crashed into rocks.
He added that the eight who died were all adult men.
Survivors of the accident come from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran, he added.
A UK government spokesperson said French authorities are leading the investigation.
"We can confirm there has been an incident in the Channel involving a small boat in French waters,” the spokesperson said.
"French authorities are leading the response and investigation. We will not be commenting further at this stage.” British Red Cross said the deaths were "tragic”, as the charity organisation called for more safe crossing routes for migrants.
More than 30 people have died in Channel crossings so far this year.
Before this month, the French coastguard had recorded at least 19 Channel crossing deaths in 2024.