At least eight people died in a failed attempt to cross the English Channel from northern France, French maritime authorities confirmed on Sunday.
The tragedy occurred Saturday just before midnight, when officials discovered a boat carrying dozens of people in trouble near a beach in the northern town of Ambleteuse.
A French rescue ship was dispatched to the region, and rescue personnel provided medical help to 53 migrants on the beach, according to a statement from the French maritime authorities in charge of the Channel and the North Sea.
“Despite the emergency care provided, eight people have died,” the statement said.
No people were discovered during the search at sea, it added.
Survivors of the tragedy have been taken to the sports hall in Ambleteuse, according to a statement from the prefecture of Pas-de-Calais region. Prosecutor’s office in Boulogne-sur-mer has opened an investigation into the accident.
The incident Saturday occurred nearly two weeks after a boat carrying migrants ripped apart in the English Channel as they attempted to reach Britain from northern France, plunging dozens into the treacherous waterway and leaving 13 dead, officials said.
On Saturday, French coast guard and navy vessels rescued 200 people from the treacherous waters in the Pas-de-Calais area, according to a report sent by French maritime authorities in charge of the Channel and the North Sea.
They said they observed 18 attempts of boat departures from France to Britain on Saturday.
Before Saturday’s accident, at least 43 migrants had died or gone missing while trying to cross to the U.K. this year, according to the International Organization for Migration.
