Two men died after attempting to cross the English Channel from Berck, northern France, on Sunday night. Police reportedly observed migrants leaving the beach on a boat at approximately 22:00 local time.
When rescuers arrived, they found at least 80 people on board the overloaded vessel, which had a strong smell of gasoline. The two men, aged in their 30s and 40s, were in cardiac arrest. They were brought ashore but died around midnight.
Two women, aged 20 and 26, from Somalia, were taken to Rang-du-Fliers hospital with serious burns caused by gasoline mixed with seawater. Their condition is described as not life-threatening. The Boulogne-sur-Mer public prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into the deaths.
Separately, the UK Home Office reported that 149 migrants were rescued mid-Channel on Sunday and brought to Gosport, Hampshire. The Home Office has recorded 19,451 people crossing the Channel in small boats this year, a 43% decrease compared to the same period last year.