THE GUARDIAN:
Fifty people said to have been onboard inflatable boat as authorities search for people alive in water
At least 30 people have died trying to cross the Channel to the UK in an inflatable dinghy, French officials say, in what would be the deadliest incident since the current crisis began.
Jean-Marc Puissesseau, the president and chairman of the ports of Calais and Boulogne, told BBC News: “What I know is that there were 50 people on this boat. What I have heard is that there are 30 people who have died, and about five or six who have been found.”
The mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart, earlier said the death toll stood at 27 at 5pm UK time, but other French officials had warned they expected the total to rise.
A rescue operation is under way in the Channel by air and sea as French and British authorities search for anyone still in the water.
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Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Manche : au moins 31 morts dans le naufrage d'un bateau de migrants au large de Dunkerque : Partis des côtes proches de Dunkerque, ils ont péri dans le naufrage de leur embarcation. Quatre passeurs ont été arrêtés, a indiqué Gérald Darmanin. »
Calais : au moins trente et un migrants morts dans le naufrage d’une embarkation : Un pêcheur a donné l’alerte en début d’après-midi, signalant alors une quinzaine de corps. « La France ne laissera pas la Manche devenir un cimetière », a déclaré Emmanuel Macron. Une réunion interministérielle doit se tenir jeudi matin, selon Matignon. »
