157 migrants rescued after boat fire during English Channel crossing

French and British maritime services rescue 157 migrants after a boat catches fire while attempting to cross the English Channel from France toward the UK, according to French authorities. Reports say the incident occurred near the boundary between French and British waters, where the vessel’s engine caught fire during the crossing attempt. Because of the fire, some people jump overboard as rescuers respond. French and British vessels and coastguard teams conduct a large-scale rescue operation, with multiple outlets describing it as among the largest since 2018. The rescued migrants are taken up by responding ships, and no deaths or serious casualties are reported in the accounts provided by the outlets. The Mirror and other reports also note involvement by the UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution and both French and British coastguard services, reflecting a coordinated cross-Channel response. The exact circumstances leading to the engine fire are not detailed in the reports summarized here.