An infant died Thursday evening, October 17, 2024 off the coast of Wissant (Pas-de-Calais), in the sinking of a boat overloaded with people trying to reach England clandestinely, indicated the maritime prefecture of Manche and the North Sea on Friday.
During an operation to recover migrants who had fallen into the water, “sixty-five people were recovered safe and sound”. More, “after a search, an infant was found unconscious in the water and unfortunately declared deceased”specifies the maritime prefecture.
Makeshift boats
This death brings to at least 52 the number of people who died in crossing attempts in 2024. This is a record since the start of the phenomenon of crossings in 2018. small boatsthese makeshift boats used by migrants to try to reach England.
These victims regularly include children. On September 3, half of the twelve victims of the worst shipwreck of the year, which left 12 dead, were minors. On October 5, a two-year-old child was crushed to death in a boat carrying nearly 90 people and its engine broke down.
Few life jackets
The conditions for crossing the Channel, “one of the busiest areas in the world” according to the maritime prefecture, are particularly dangerous on overloaded canoes. On board, few passengers have life jackets.
The boats arriving on the British coasts since the 1is January have an average of 53 passengers each. It was only 13 in 2020, according to official figures from the British authorities. Still according to these, since the start of the year, more than 26,000 migrants have arrived in England after crossing the Channel.
Related News :