Two Dead, Two Injured in Fire on Migrant Boat in English Channel
A fire broke out on an overcrowded dinghy carrying approximately 80 people, resulting in two fatalities and severe burns for two women.
Two men died and two women sustained severe burns when a fire erupted on a crowded dinghy attempting to cross the English Channel. French rescue services were in position off the coast at Berck, south of Boulogne-sur-mer, when the incident occurred.
Mass panic ensued among the roughly 80 men, women, and children on board after the boat's outboard motor appeared to catch fire due to a leak. The vessel was approximately one mile into the Channel when the fire broke out. Rescuers observed the unfolding tragedy but were unable to intervene immediately.
Jean-Marc Lamblin, skipper of the Berck lifeboat, reported a strong smell of petrol upon arrival. He described the boat as overloaded and noted that migrants began moving children to the sides of the vessel shortly before screams and shouts for help began. Rescuers pulled a young woman from the boat with severe burns to her lower body, caused by a mixture of seawater and petrol. Two Somalian women, aged 20 and 26, were engulfed in flames, and one initially lost sight of her daughter, who was later found safe on shore.
Two men, aged 35 and 45, were found in cardiac arrest and were pronounced dead after CPR attempts lasting 43 minutes. Their identities and nationalities have not been released.
This incident follows a recent tragedy where a ten-year-old boy and two women died in an overcrowded migrant dinghy. That vessel, carrying around 102 people, was designed for only 20 and began to sink shortly after departing Sangatte beach near Calais. Approximately 10 other individuals were injured in that incident.
French prosecutors have initiated criminal inquiries into these events. The latest deaths bring the total number of people who have died attempting to cross the Channel to Britain this year to at least 26, including women and children. The deadliest incident on record occurred in November 2021, when 27 migrants died after a dinghy sank.
Recent days have seen multiple crossing attempts from the coast of northern France, facilitated by calm seas and favorable weather conditions. As of recent figures, nearly 19,000 migrants have reached England by dinghy since January, with the provisional total for Channel crossings this year standing at 19,451. This figure represents a decrease compared to the same periods in the previous two years.