1 dead after irregular migrant boat capsizes in English Channel

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) — One person died in the English Channel on Friday after a distressed boat carrying irregular migrants capsized, local media reported.

A rescue operation was launched on Thursday night, continuing into Friday, according to French broadcaster BFMTV.

Rescue teams counted over 60 people on the boat, less than 8 kilometers (5 miles) off the coast of the northern French town Grand-Fort-Philippe, with several migrants in the water, two of them unconscious.

While one was pronounced dead, another was transferred to a hospital in the city of Calais, France.

French authorities recovered the other 64 migrants, who were also taken to Calais.

The English Channel, known as "La Manche" in French, is one of the primary routes for illegal crossings by those who want to reach the UK or France.