A boat with 30 to 50 migrants got into distress in the English Channel on Wednesday and at least three people died. The search for missing persons continues.
According to British media reports, at least three people died in a boat accident in the English Channel. This was reported by the British news agency PA, citing a government source. 43 people are said to have been saved alive.
According to information from Sky News, around 30 to 50 migrants are said to have been on board the boat, which got into distress in the early hours of the morning, as the broadcaster reported, citing a French source. Images released by Sky News show people climbing onto a lifeboat from an overcrowded black inflatable boat in the dark.
The Coast Guard, together with the military, police and border guards, coordinated a search and rescue mission on Wednesday that involved at least two helicopters and British and French lifeboats. It was initially unclear what exactly happened to the boat that crashed.
Braverman: Thoughts of those affected
The search for missing people will continue for the rest of the day, Sky News reported, citing inside sources. However, due to the low temperatures – in the past few nights they have fallen to below zero in the region – the search for survivors is no longer being carried out.
About a year ago, around 30 people died in a boat accident in the English Channel. Most recently, many thousands of migrants made the dangerous crossing towards the United Kingdom. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak only published plans on Tuesday to take tougher action against illegal migration.
British Home Secretary Suella Braverman, known for her radical stance on migration, wrote on Twitter that her thoughts are with everyone affected. You will be kept informed about the “shattering incident” and the authorities are in the process of clarifying the situation. At noon, the conservative politician wanted to comment on the accident in the lower house.