PARIS (AP) — Four migrants have died while trying to cross the English Channel from France to the U.K., French authorities said Friday.
Their inflatable boat capsized and punctured off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer, in northern France, the prefecture responsible for the north of France said in a statement. Sixty-three people were rescued by the French coast guard.
The prefecture said a French navy patrol boat spotted the overcrowded vessel early Friday as it deflated off the French coast. Several people were in the water, the statement said.
Navy vessels, a fishing boat and a Navy helicopter joined the effort. Survivors were brought to the shore to receive medical attention and temporary shelter, the statement also said.
Migrants trying to reach the U.K. risk drowning as they try to cross the busy English Channel, often aboard crowded boats.
An estimated 30,000 people made the crossing in 2023, according to U.K. government figures.
