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Channel: five migrants drown while trying to reach the United Kingdom
Channel: five migrants drown while trying to reach the United Kingdom
(franceinfo)
Five migrants drowned on Tuesday April 23, including a 7-year-old girl while trying to cross the Channel. Their boat hit a sandbar then attempted to return to sea.
Tuesday April 23, 58 migrants survived a hellish crossing of the Channel. They were taken into care by the British authorities. A few hours earlier, near Wimereux (Pas-de-Calais), three men, a woman and a 7-year-old girl were found dead at sea. “The father fell into our arms earlier (…). He is crying, he saw his little daughter die before his eyes”testifies Dany Patoux, volunteer with the migrant aid association Osmose 62.
6,200 migrants have successfully crossed since January
At dawn, the sea is calm, the wind is moderate, but the boat is overloaded: 112 people, crowded together. The canoe hits a sandbar and leaves. A panic ensues. Some of the migrants continue on their way. 47 were brought ashore, including four hospitalized. For the mayor of Wimereux, these crossings are unacceptable. Smugglers remain very present in the region. A delivery of nautical equipment was foiled by the police. Since January, 6,200 migrants have successfully crossed on makeshift rafts.
