Twelve people tragically perished after a boat capsized in the English Channel, including a pregnant lady and six children.
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The pregnant woman was among the victims who died when the overcrowded inflatable boat ‘torn open’ off the coast of France, according to Frédéric Cuvillier, the mayor of Boulogne-sur-Mer, where the injured are being treated.
The provincial prosecutor, Guirec Le Bras, stated at a press conference that six youngsters and ten women were among the 12 people who were claimed to have died.
He went on to say that the dead were “primarily of Eritrean origin,” but that officials have not yet “consolidated” enough data to offer more specifics.
According to officials, a significant number of the passengers lacked life preservers; one described the incident as the deadliest migrant mishap in the canal this year.
Since the ship encountered difficulties this morning off the coast of northern France, close to Calais, a significant rescue mission has been underway.
The bottom of the boat, which was only seven meters long, “ripped open,” plunging over 70 passengers into the ocean.
In Boulogne-sur-Mer, survivors are receiving medical attention; a few of them remain in severe condition. There was a medical post established nearby.