Five died and one was seriously injured early Sunday morning while trying to cross the that unites to reported the French maritime prefecture.

Four migrants They died and one was rushed to hospital.“, the maritime prefecture told AFP.

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The prefecture reported shortly after in a statement that another person had been found and that “Unfortunately she could not be revived.”.

The tragedy occurred around 2:00 a.m. (01:00 GMT) on Sunday when a boat with dozens of people on board capsized, the regional newspaper reported. The Voice of the North.

About 70 migrants, including children, were rescued, a source reported on condition of anonymity.

The migrants were rescued by the crew of a French tugboat, the Abeille Normandiesaid a spokeswoman for the maritime prefecture, who said the water temperature was about 9ºC.

The survivors were taken to the coastal city of Calaisin the northwest of France.

These are the first migrant deaths recorded in the English Channel in 2024. The last shipwrecks were recorded in December and claimed the lives of two migrants.

The French region of Calais is the starting point for migrants trying to reach United Kingdom. The canal is the shortest journey to reach the country.

Hundreds of people wait in tents and makeshift shelters near the cities of Calais and Dunkirkwaiting for an opportunity to make the journey hidden in a truck or aboard a small boat.

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According to British authorities, nearly 30,000 migrants crossed the channel in small boats in 2023, a third fewer than in 2022.

French authorities say vessels are increasingly overloaded.

In November 2021, at least 27 people drowned when their boat capsized.

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