Two children are among three migrants reported dead in the English Channel by French authorities overnight, according to local media.
The deadly incident unfolded off the coast of Sangatte, in Pas-de-Calais, Tuesday night into Wednesday, the region’s prosecutor, Laurent Touvet, said at a news conference in Boulogne-sur-Mer on Wednesday.
Two of the three who died were minors, French broadcaster BFMTV reported, quoting Mr Touvet.
Those who died were “likely crushed at the bottom of the boat”, which had a total of 38 people on board, he added, and were brought to shore by rescue services at around 5am.
According to the broadcaster, a third boat also got into difficulty.
“Smuggler networks bear the responsibility for these tragedies. The state is determined to combat them,” the prosecutor’s office said in a post on X.
They thanked police, firefighters, civil protection volunteers, and sea rescue services for scrambling to aid the boats.
It comes a day after a woman was confirmed dead as a result of “small boat activity” in the same waters.
Kent Police said the woman was airlifted to land just after 1pm on Tuesday but was pronounced dead shortly after.
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The UK Government is considering using military barracks to house migrants who arrive illegally on small boats, after the number who made the journey by August became the highest for this point of the year.
Some 3,567 made the crossing last month – the lowest August total since 2021. But by the end of the month, 29,003 people had arrived in small boats in total throughout 2025.
