Twelve died when migrant boat capsized in the English Channel

– The bottom of the boat was unfortunately torn up, says the mayor of Le Portel in France, Olivier Barbarin.

– When people can’t swim, it can happen very quickly, he says.

According to a spokesperson for the French rescue service, 65 people were picked up by the English Channel after the sinking. Twelve of them were declared dead and the condition of several of the others is described as critical.

Missing life jackets

Many of the migrants were not equipped with life jackets, which contributed to the shipwreck being the deadliest so far this year in the canal, says Barbarin.

According to the French authorities, the boat with migrants encountered problems on its way from Boulogne-sur-Mer, but it is not clear why the bottom was torn up.

At least 30 migrants have died or are missing trying to cross the sea from France to Britain this year, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

That does not include Tuesday’s victims.

Horrible

According to British authorities, at least 2,109 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats in the last seven days alone.

British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper calls Tuesday’s shipwreck cruel and deeply tragic and blames people smugglers.

– The gangs behind this terrible and insensitive trade in human life do not care about anything but profit, she said in a statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised last week to step up cooperation to put an end to the organized traffic of migrants across the Channel.