A shipwreck in the English Channel leaves 89 survivors, one possible missing person
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on BFMTV
On Saturday evening, a migrant boat trying to reach England sank near British waters: 89 people were rescued, including one suffering from hypothermia. Another person is potentially missing, according to the maritime authority for the Channel and the North Sea (Prémar), cited by BFMTV.
A shipwreck that occurred on Saturday evening near British waters left 89 survivors and one potentially missing person, according to Prémar, the maritime authority for the Channel and the North Sea, which updated its toll on Sunday 15 November. The boat, a migrant vessel, was trying to reach England secretly from the northern French coast.
Among the survivors, one person is suffering from hypothermia. The rescue tug Abeille-Normandie took charge of 88 people, and a Dauphin helicopter from the French Navy rescued one other. Rescuers also deployed a British aircraft and rescue ship, as well as two helicopters and four French vessels. According to the prefecture, the missing person is reported to have been seen in the water during the operations, but the passengers reported no one missing.
The shipwreck happened on a day when many departure attempts were observed along the coast, thanks to favourable weather conditions. On Saturday, the body of a young man was found on a beach in the Pas-de-Calais, following an unsuccessful departure attempt. Since the start of the year, at least 25 people have died trying to reach England by sea, according to a tally compiled by AFP from official sources. In early August, more than 170 migrants had already been rescued in the Channel.
