Four migrants die after boat capsizes in English Channel crossing attempt

More than 60 people were on the boat off the northern French coast near Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Four migrants have died in the English Channel after their boat capsized, according to the French coastguard.

More than 60 people were on the boat off the northern French coast near Boulogne-sur-Mer, where several people were reported as being in the water at around 4.30am on Friday.

Some 63 migrants were rescued in an operation involving four ships and one helicopter, including a fishing vessel which picked up 14 of the people who got into trouble.

Medical teams provided help for four people but they could not be saved, the maritime prefecture added.

The surviving group of people were returned to Boulogne and attended to by emergency services.

Latest Home Office figures show 419 people made the journey across the Channel from France to the UK in six boats on Tuesday, suggesting an average of around 70 people per boat and taking the provisional total for 2024 to date to 14,058.

The reports come as five people including a child died trying to cross the English Channel from France to the UK on April 23.

The Home Office and HM Coastguard have been contacted for comment.

STV News is now on WhatsApp

Get all the latest news from around the country

Follow STV News
Follow STV News on WhatsApp

Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

WhatsApp channel QR Code
Posted in