The French coast guard says three people died in a small boat trying to cross the English Channel on Sunday morning.
At around 06:00 local time (05:00 GMT) the men fell into the water after trying to board a boat off the coast of Sangate near Calais.
Three people, who were later pronounced dead, were pulled from the water by helicopter, while another 45 people were treated on the beach, many of them suffering from hypothermia. Four were taken to hospital.
It has been done. Deadliest year on record For channel crossings.
“It never stops,” the mayor of Sangate Guy Allemand told AFP. “It is crossing after crossing, without delay.”
Seven people required intensive care, he said.
The French coast guard said a search was underway for any other survivors at sea.
The Home Office confirmed that an incident had occurred in French waters., With French authorities leading the response and investigation.
Pierre-Henri Dumont, MP for the Pas-de-Calais region, told the BBC: “Any attempt to cross the Channel like this is very, very dangerous – but at this time of year, it’s even more dangerous. It’s scary.”
He said rescue teams could respond quickly but current temperatures meant “even a few minutes in the water” could be fatal.
The event follows four days in which 1,485 people traveled, making it the busiest Christmas period since records began in 2018.
More than 36,000 people have crossed the channel. Among small boats so far this year, the 2023 total has surpassed 29,437, official figures show.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency that keeps track of deaths crossing the Channel, says 77 people have died. have died trying to travel this year..
The Home Office has said it will “stop at nothing” to stamp out people-smuggling operations, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer making “breaking the gangs” that facilitate crossings one of his top priorities. .
Several other boats were reported to have left the coast on Sunday, the French coast guard said in a statement.