Child and 2 women ‘crushed to death’ during France to UK sea crossing

On Monday, a tragic incident occurred during the perilous journey across the English Channel from France to the United Kingdom, resulting in the deaths of a 10-year-old child and two women, according to French authorities. The dinghy, carrying a total of 105 people, departed from the northern French area of Sangatte around 5:15am.

As the boat made its way through the water, it encountered difficulties, prompting passengers to request assistance. Rescue services were called at around 8am, as the dinghy was approximately six kilometers (approximately four miles) off the coast.

Two women in their thirties and a 10-year-old Eritrean boy were confirmed dead, likely as a result of a stampede while the dinghy was over-packed with passengers, said local prefect François Xavier Lauch. Inflatable boats often undertake the hazardous crossing, picking up individuals who have waded into the sea to board the overcrowded vessels. A French maritime rescue boat eventually transported the 105 survivors, with an intensive care team arriving on a helicopter to pronounce the child and the two women dead.

The women were estimated to be in their 30s, according to the regional government. The initial investigation suggests that the fatalities were caused by a crush, but the exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy will be determined by a judicial inquiry led by a prosecutor in the northern French port of Boulogne. Nine other individuals required medical treatment following the incident.

For years, France has served as a staging ground for asylum seekers seeking to cross the sea to Britain, paying smugglers significant sums to board unstable and often overcrowded rubber dinghies in an attempt to navigate one of the world's busiest shipping routes.