New departure of a boat with 20 migrants on board, two days after a shipwreck that cost the lives of 12 people

Nearly 20 migrants boarded a boat in Marck (Pas-de-Calais) on Wednesday, September 4 shortly before 11 p.m., franceinfo learned from a source close to the case. They attempted to reach the United Kingdom two days after the sinking of another boat that cost the lives of 12 people off the coast of Le Portel (Pas-de-Calais).

According to the initial findings of the investigation, around sixty people, including women and children, attempted to board the boat. As they approached to try to prevent the boat from being launched, the police officers were pelted with projectiles. The police officers then fired shots using LBDs in particular.

A group of about forty people turned back, but 20 others, only a few of whom had life jackets, managed to get out to sea. The Gris-Nez Cross dispatched a ship to help them, as well as a plane which flew to the area.

On Tuesday, 12 people who had set off early in the morning died when their boat took on water, two people remain hospitalized, according to Lille prosecutor Carole Etienne to AFP. The bodies of the deceased were transported to the Lille forensic institute for identification.