Three men arrested over deaths of five migrants including child on overcrowded small boat with some ‘crushed to death’

THREE men have been arrested after five migrants died in a failed attempt to cross the English Channel.

A child, a woman and three men were killed trying to cross from France yesterday morning.

They had been crossing from an area near the town of Wimereux,.

Authorities discovered several “lifeless bodies” on what one official called a “busy” morning for crossings, with several attempts reported.

An emergency operation was launched by the French coastguard and by 11am at least five people were reported drowned off the coast at Boulogne sur Mer.

About 100 migrants were rescued and placed aboard a French navy ship.

Officials reported a four-year-old girl was among the dead and many others who struggled ashore had been unconscious and suffering from hypothermia.

Now, The National Crime Agency has said investigators are questioning two men from Sudan aged 19 and 22, and a third 22-year-old suspect from south Sudan over the tragedy.

They were arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration and entering the UK illegally.

The 55 surviving boat passengers have already been interviewed and are expected to be spoken to further in the coming days.

Craig Turner, deputy director of investigations for the National Crime Agency said: “This tragic incident once again demonstrates the threat to life posed by these crossings and bring into focus why it is so important to target the criminal gangs involved in organising them.

“We will do all we can with partners in the UK and France to secure evidence, identify those responsible for this event, and bring them to justice.”

Dany Patoux, of the Osmose 62 refugee charity, witnessed the return of a number of survivors, including the dead four-year-old girl’s father.

He said: “We knew the little girl well. We have photos with her, with a big smile on her face, in the hope of a better life.

“But now, everything is ruined. Her father fell into our arms right away.

“He was crying, in a daze. He saw his little daughter die before his eyes.”

Most of those on board were paying the equivalent of up to £1,000 per head for a voyage, meaning a single boat could be worth £100,000 to a smuggler. 

By 11am, funeral directors could be seen collecting bodies around Boulogne, as survivors were rushed to hospital. 

An investigating source based in Boulogne said “at least five” overcrowded small boats were seen pushing off from the beach at Wimereux at around 3am.

The Channel between France and Britain is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and currents are strong, making the crossing on small boats dangerous.

People smugglers typically overload rickety dinghies, leaving them barely afloat and at risk of being lashed by the waves as they try to reach British shores.

Illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson said reports of further deaths in the English Channel were “absolutely chilling”.

Asked on ITV‘s Good Morning Britain about the reported tragedy, he said: “It is absolutely chilling to hear that.

“We have had fatalities now in the Channel for nine consecutive months.”

PREVIOUS DEATHS

The deaths take the number of recorded fatalities in the Channel in 2024 to 14.

The last fatality in the Channel happened on March 3 when a schoolgirl, seven, died.

The girl was among 16 migrants who had to be pulled from the water, but could not be saved.

And on February 28, three migrants died after falling into the water off the coast of Cap Gris-Nez, northern France, in an attempted crossing.

Meanwhile, on January 14 five migrants died while trying to make the treacherous journey across the 21-mile Dover Straits.

Home Office figures showed that more than 2,000 migrants have arrived in the UK this year after making the journey from France.

It comes as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is scrambling to get deportation flights going to Rwanda in a bid to deter small boat journeys.