Three People, Including Child, Die in English Channel Crossing Attempt

PARIS: Three people, including a child, have died while attempting to cross the English Channel from northern France to the United Kingdom, French authorities said on Monday.

French maritime police received a distress call from an inflatable dinghy carrying 105 people after the vessel encountered difficulties off the coast of Wissant in the Pas-de-Calais region. Rescue teams were dispatched to the scene, where passengers were taken to safety.

According to French authorities, the victims included a 10-year-old child and two women. Initial information indicated that the deaths may have resulted from overcrowding and crushing aboard the inflatable vessel rather than drowning. Authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The vessel was described by local authorities as a so-called “taxi boat”, a type of small inflatable craft used to collect passengers from beaches before attempting the Channel crossing. Rescue operations continued after the incident, while survivors were transported to the port of Calais for medical assessment and assistance.

The latest deaths add to the fatalities recorded among people attempting to cross the Channel in small boats. French and British authorities have continued efforts to disrupt smuggling networks and prevent dangerous crossings along the northern French coast.

Despite the risks, thousands of people have attempted the journey this year. According to figures cited by Reuters from Britain’s Home Office, the number of successful Channel crossings in 2026 was more than 40 percent lower by late September than during the corresponding period in 2025.

The incident comes amid renewed attention in Britain and France to migration routes across the Channel and efforts to expand safe and legal pathways for refugees while tackling people-smuggling operations.