Two migrants die trying to cross English Channel

Two migrants have died attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat.

The incident happened offshore between Calais and Dunkirk, in France, on Sunday morning, a French maritime official told the BBC. Some 53 migrants were rescued.

In a separate incident, several people onboard another boat suffered petrol burns, according to French maritime authorities. More than 50 migrants were rescued from the second small boat.

French officials said 25 migrants have died attempting to cross the world’s busiest shipping lane this year.

The British Coastguard confirmed it had provided support to the French Coastguard after sending a search and rescue unit and a UK Border Force vessel to assist.

Several boats carrying migrants launched from beaches in northern France on Sunday after a period of windy conditions.

Fine weather in the morning prompted several groups to take to the water.

Jacques Billant, prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region, said during a news conference on Sunday afternoon that authorities launched a large rescue operation when a vessel got into difficulty.

The Gris-Nez Regional Operational Surveillance and Rescue Centre (CROSS) located the boat in an area where visibility had been reduced by fog.

A British Coastguard vessel and several vessels from the French authorities picked up the people onboard the boat.

There were 55 migrants on the boat. Two people were unconscious when crews arrived at the scene and later died, while 53 were safely brought back to port in Calais, the French maritime authorities said.

A UK government spokesperson confirmed the "tragic incident" had taken place and said it "underlines the terrible dangers of small boat crossings".

"We continue to do everything we can to prevent callous criminals exploiting vulnerable people. Our thoughts are with those affected," they said.

The second incident involved 50 migrants, 36 of whom were rescued by the French vessel Minck. Fourteen others were rescued by another vessel.

Dina Al Shammari, 21, died trying to cross the English Channel

Meanwhile, the family of Dina Al Shammari - a 21-year-old woman who died trying to cross the channel on 28 July - said they had "no option" but to attempt the journey again themselves.

She was travelling with her three younger siblings, aged 13 to 19, and parents, when she was crushed in an overcrowded boat off the coast of Calais.

The family, who are Kuwaiti Bidoon, a stateless Arab minority, fled the Gulf state in 2018, and said Ms Al Shammari wanted to be a dentist.

Her mother, Amira Al Shammari, 52, said the family of six arrived in France on 1 July and had attempted the crossing five times before the night her eldest daughter died.