More than 150 migrants are rescued after a boat catches fire while attempting to cross the English Channel from France toward Britain. French authorities say the incident occurs on or near the boundary between French and British waters, and that the boat’s engine catches fire during the crossing. People aboard the vessel jump overboard as the fire spreads. Rescue operations involve French and British maritime services and coastguard teams, according to multiple reports, with vessels responding and coordinating to recover survivors. Outlets describe the rescue as one of the largest since 2018, with official counts reported as 157 migrants rescued. Across the coverage, there are no reports of casualties, and the focus remains on the scale of the response and the circumstances leading to the fire. The reports note the rescue takes place following the engine problem, as authorities manage the immediate maritime emergency and bring the people to safety.
157 migrants rescued after boat fire during English Channel crossing
More than 150 migrants are rescued after a boat catches fire while attempting to cross the English Channel from France toward Britain. French authorities say the incident occurs on or near the boundar...
- A migrant boat catches fire during an English Channel crossing from France toward Britain.
- French authorities say the boat’s engine catches fire.
- French and British vessels and coastguard teams carry out a joint rescue operation.
- Officials report about 157 migrants are rescued.
- Reports do not mention casualties or fatalities.
French and British vessels saved 157 migrants after their boat caught fire while trying to cross the Channel on Tuesday, authorities in both countries said. It is one of the largest such rescue operations reported since records began in 2018. “A small boat caught fire on the boundary between French and British waters, forcing its occupants to jump overboard” on Tuesday morning, the prefect’s office in France’s Pas-de-Calais region said, adding no casualties had been reported. They had left the...
1 hour agoFrench and British vessels saved 157 migrants after their boat caught fire while trying to cross the Channel on Tuesday, authorities in both countries said. It is one of the largest such rescue operations reported since records began in 2018. “A small boat caught fire on the boundary between French and British waters, forcing its occupants to jump overboard” on Tuesday morning, the prefect’s office in France’s Pas-de-Calais region said, adding no casualties had been reported. They had left the coastal village of Veules-les-Roses in Normandy on Monday, French maritime authorities said. A spokesman for the British coastguard said UK vessels and a lifeboat were assisting after “a vessel caught fire earlier this morning whilst in the French search and rescue region”. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution charity said a “lifeboat launched at 6:00am today to an incident”. In recent weeks, witnesses in France have said they have seen dinghies larger than usual cross the shipping lane, reporting they seemed to be 12 metres long instead of the usual 8 or 10 metres. French maritime authorities have told AFP the average number of people piled on these small boats has risen — from 26 in 2021 to 65 since the start of the year. France has long been a launchpad for migrants hoping to cross the Channel to reach Britain. Paying smugglers thousands of dollars, people often board overloaded rubber dinghies to make the dangerous and sometimes deadly journey across one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. More than 41,000 migrants landed on England’s southern coast last year — the second-highest annual number since 2018. So far this year, 14 people have died trying to cross the Channel, according to an AFP tally based on official French and British sources. At least 29 migrants lost their lives in the Channel last year, according to a similar AFP count.
2 hours agoRescue boats from both France and the UK took part in the operation to evacuate passengers from the stricken vessel.
2 hours agoFrench and British teams have rescued 157 migrants trying to cross the Channel after their boat's engine caught fire
3 hours agoEnglish Channel migrant boat fire triggers rescue of near French waters
3 hours ago
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