One dies in attempted Channel crossing after small boat sinks off Calais coast
One person has died trying to cross the Channel in a small boat that sank off the coast of Calais, while 69 were rescued during what French authorities said was a very busy night for crossings.
The small boat began to take in water before French navy ship Abeille Normandie rescued the 70 people on board. Only half of those on board had life jackets. The French navy's Dauphin helicopter was also involved in the rescue operation.
Two people were carried unconscious on to the Abeille Normandie. One was resuscitated while the other was taken by helicopter to hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.
The person is at least the fourth so far this year to die attempting to cross the Channel in a small boat. A Syrian man in his twenties is thought to have been crushed to death on 11 January in an overcrowded boat that began to collapse after setting off from Sangatte. On 10 February two bodies were found after attempting to swim out to a small boat.
So far this year more than 1,500 people have crossed the Channel in small boats including three people who made their own boat and crossed the Channel on 10 February. The UK government has launched initiatives they say will 'smash' the business model of the smugglers who organise the Channel crossings.
Last year 36,816 people crossed the Channel, down from the record high in 2022, when 45,755 crossed. Since small boat crossings began in 2018, more than 150,000 people have arrived in the UK by this route.
A statement from the French maritime prefecture for the Channel and the North Sea said the Channel was particularly dangerous in the middle of winter for precarious and overloaded boats, as it was a busy shipping lane with difficult weather conditions.
Utopia 56, a French organisation that supports migrants in northern France posted on X about Saturday's death, describing it as a 'harmful consequence' of government policies to stop small boats from crossing the Channel.
Sign up to Headlines UK
Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning
after newsletter promotion
A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security. The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay. We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Famous UK tourist attraction almost had its massive penis COVERED up after complaint that it ‘offended Christian values'
THE Home Office once suggested covering up the Cerne Abbas Giant's manhood with shrubbery. It came after a prudish member of the public complained that the 35ft chalk penis was an 'obscenity that offended Christian values'. The whiner claimed that two bishops and other religious leaders supported his view — and it forced the Home Office to raise the 'serious charge of indecency against a prehistoric monument' with the National Trust. But Cecil Yates, an official at the Home Office, added in a letter in 1932: 'What does the complainant want us to do? 'Plant a small grove of fig trees in a strategic position?' And in an official response to the moaning prude — a man called Walter Long, he said: 'The Secretary of State regrets that he cannot see his way to take any action in the matter.' The 180ft Giant — a bald, naked man with an erection and carrying a club — is etched in chalk on a hillside in Cerne Abbas, Dorset. It was created by the Anglo-Saxons in the 8th century as a tribute to god of health Helith. Mr Long's pre-war complaint was uncovered by writer and local historian Karen Heaney as she carried out research for a new book on the landmark. Karen, 64, of Netherbury, said: 'It made me smile to think the Giant was controversial even back then. "The Home Office official wasn't sure what they were expected to do about it.' In 2023, The Oxford Cheese Company caused upset by branding a vintage cheddar range with the Giant — but covering his appendage.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
All four pilots suspended after runway collision which saw Boeing slice through tail fin of parked Airbus
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ALL four pilots involved in a horrifying runway plane collision which saw one jet slice through another's tail fin have been suspended. Harrowing footage showed a Boeing shred through a stationary Airbus while on the tarmac - just moments before it was set to take off. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 A plane sliced through another one's wing on a runway 3 Debris scattered across the tarmac during the horror collision 3 Nearly 400 passengers disembarked both flights Hundreds were left stranded after the shocking accident which unfolded in front of terrified passengers who watched debris scatter across the runway. The two Vietnam Airlines aircraft smashed into each other at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam on June 27 - with both aircraft carrying a total of 386 passengers. The Ho Chi Minh City-bound Boeing 787 was taxiing for take-off when it struck an Airbus A321, parked on the tarmac, waiting to head to Dien Bien. Vietnam Airlines has now suspended the four pilots involved - two from each jet. Meanwhile, investigators are still probing the exact cause of the crash. Initial findings have suggested human error, due to the fact the Airbus was not parked correctly on the runway at the time of the smash. The dramatic collision took place at the intersection of taxiways S and S3, under clear weather conditions. In the shocking footage, a blue Airbus can be seen taxi-ing just moments before take-off. But seconds later, another jet's right wing rips through the rear section of the stationary aircraft - almost like butter. Frightened passengers watched in disbelief as they saw parts of the plane's tail stabilizer shoot off onto the floor. Ex-French army general and couple die in horror crash as plane smashes into residential area minutes after takeoff Both planes immediately disembarked hundreds of panicked flyers after the accident. And they were given replacement flights to board shortly after. An independent team hired by the airline are investigating the crash, alongside the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. The terrifying footage comes after a recent string of horror aviation accidents. Heartstopping footage showed the moment an American Airlines flight saw smoke and sparks flying from the plane's engine. Harrowing video of the incident was shared on social media, showing puffs of smoke and orange sparks coming from the plane's engine. And last week, a Ryanair flight crashed into a barrier and suffered a badly smashed wing after landing at a Greek airport. The Boeing 737 suffered 'severe turbulence' during the flight, before those onboard heard a huge bang as the aircraft landed and collided with a barrier.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Ex-French army general and couple die in horror plane crash as jet smashes into residential area minutes after takeoff
THREE people have died after a plane crashed into a French neighbourhood just three minutes after taking off. A former army general, 77, and a couple on board the Cessna 172 tourist plane all died in the tragic air disaster. 5 5 5 The experienced pilot lost control of the small aircraft as it plummeted towards a residential area in Champhol, a town in central France. All three died upon impact, public prosecutor Frederic Chevallier confirmed. The crash took place shortly before 4pm on Friday. Chevallier added that the couple onboard the light aircraft were a man and a woman in their 60s. The veteran French army general, who was piloting the plane, was praised for how he managed to avoid any civilian casualties on the ground when the plane spiralled down. Chevallier says he believes "the pilot likely prevented a greater tragedy by avoiding the houses". The only other damage caused was to a parked car in the area. Initial investigations say the aircraft is believed to have made a sharp turn that is said to have been too tight to perform. The lead prosecutor said the plane made a "sudden turn" before suffering a "rapid descent". It then smashed into a "low wall in a garden" and came to a sudden stop. Two killed and one injured in plane crash after pilot lost control while trying to dodge a turtle on the runway The light aircraft was owned by the Chartres Metropole aerodrome flying club. An investigation into the exact cause of the crash is still ongoing. It comes as another life was claimed when a small plane crashed near Boston. The Mooney M20 aircraft hit a street close to Beverly Regional Airport in Massachusetts at around 8.45am with one other critically injured. Another tragic plane accident saw two people killed after a small private plane crashed when a pilot lifted a wheel to dodge a turtle on the runway. The pilot and a passenger were killed when the plane collided with a wooded area near Sugar Valley Airport in North Carolina and burst into flames on June 3. A second passenger was severely injured in the crash. A communications officer looking out the airport office window advised the pilot that the reptile was on the runway as he prepared to land. To avoid hitting the turtle, the pilot lifted the right wheel of the Universal Stinson 108 plane and pushed the throttle forward - leading to the serious crash. 5 5
