Man dies after small boat deflates in English Channel

A man has died after a boat carrying migrants deflated in the English Channel on Sunday morning, French authorities said.

The man, who was Indian and aged about 40, was in a boat which left from the town of Tardinghen in northern France at 5.30 am, the prefecture of Pas-de-Calais said.

The boat quickly deflated and the people on board swam back to the beach, the authorities added.

Emergency services tried to help the man, but he died at the scene.

The authorities said several attempts were stopped by police and gendarmes on Sunday morning, including in Equihen-Plage, Calais and Sangatte.

It comes as it was revealed more people have arrived in the UK this year after crossing the English Channel in small boats than over the whole of 2023, according to Government figures.

Some 29,578 migrants have made the journey since January, up on last year’s annual total of 29,437.

This is 12% higher than the 26,501 recorded this time last year but 22% lower than the 38,129 people making the journey at this stage in 2022.

Some 424 people in seven boats arrived on Friday, according to provisional Home Office data.

The French coastguard said 35 people were rescued from a boat in the Channel and taken to Calais on Friday after screams were heard on the vessel, following the rescue of another 76 migrants on Thursday when they got into difficulty while attempting the journey.

On Wednesday, three people died and dozens of others were rescued when a boat sank while trying to reach the UK, and a baby died in another similar incident last week.

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