London, Jul. 12, (PA Media/dpa/GNA) – Four migrants have died in the English Channel after their boat capsized, according to the French Coastguard.

More than 60 people were on the boat off the northern French coast near Boulogne-sur-Mer, where several people were reported as being in the water at around 4:30 am (0230 GMT) on Friday.

Some 63 migrants were rescued in an operation involving four ships and one helicopter, including a fishing vessel which picked up 14 of the people who got into trouble.

Four people were taken by a medical team but could not be saved, the maritime prefecture added.

The surviving group of people were returned to Boulogne and attended to by emergency services.

Latest Home Office figures show 419 people made the journey across the Channel from France to the UK in six boats on Tuesday, suggesting an average of around 70 people per boat and taking the provisional total for 2024 to date to 14,058.

The reports come as five people including a child died trying to cross the English Channel from France to the United Kingdom on April 23.

The Home Office and UK Coastguard have been contacted for comment.

GNA