Two migrants die while attempting to cross English Channel in small boat

Two migrants have died attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat.

The incident happened offshore between Calais and Dunkirk, in France, on Sunday morning, a French maritime official said.

Some 53 migrants were rescued.

In a separate incident, several people onboard another boat suffered petrol burns, according to French maritime authorities. More than 50 migrants were rescued from the second small boat.

French officials said 25 migrants have died attempting to cross the world’s busiest shipping lane this year.

53 migrants were rescued as proclaimed by the French maritime official.

By virtue of good weather on Sunday morning, various boats conveying migrants were launched from beaches in northern France after a period of windy conditions. The boat was reportedly capsized on the offshore

Jacques Billant, prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region, said during a news conference on Sunday afternoon that authorities launched a large rescue operation when a vessel got into difficulty.

The Gris-Nez Regional Operational Surveillance and Rescue Centre (CROSS) located the boat in an area where visibility had been reduced by fog.

A British Coastguard vessel and several vessels from the French authorities picked up the people onboard the boat.

A 55 total number of migrant was on the boat, two migrant was unconscious when crews arrived at the scene but later died while 53 were safely brought back to port in Calais, the French maritime authorities said.

A UK government spokesperson confirmed the tragic incident and expressed their heartfelt condolences “We will do everything we can to prevent callous criminals exploiting vulnerable people. Our thoughts are with those affected.”