A new shipwreck in the English Channel occurred this Tuesday late morning off Cap Gris Nez. A boat with 70 people on board, “without life jacket“, according to the mayor of Wimereux Jean-Luc Dubaele, had left from the beach of Portel. It capsized off Cap Gris-Nez. According to the maritime prefecture, “all migrants” ended up in the water. According to the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmaninwho is expected on site around 5 p.m., The provisional toll is 12 dead, two missing and several injured. The maritime prefecture indicates that 65 shipwrecked people in total have been rescued and that search operations are still in progress.
Significant rescue resources are present at the site of the former Portel hoverport, including two helicopters. A ship chartered by the State, the Minck, had spotted the boat in difficulty with more than 60 people on board and went to its aid as soon as it broke apart, Lieutenant Etienne Baggio told AFP. Two fishing vessels also went to the scene of the shipwreck.
An advanced aid station has been opened at the Loubet basin in Boulogne-sur-Mer to care for victims. The mayor of Le Portel, Olivier Barbarin, has closed Le Portel beach.
Helen Fromenty
Attempted crossings have increased in recent months and the number of victims is rising. More than 20,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel since the start of the year, according to the UK Home Office figures. Since the beginning of summer 1,000 gendarmes are deployed along the entire coastlineindicated the Pas-de-Calais prefecture at the beginning of August.
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