t least six individuals have died and greater than 50 rescued after a ship carrying migrants sank within the Channel.

British and French crews have been concerned in a large-scale operation after the vessel received into issue off the coast of Sangatte on Saturday morning.

Around 65 persons are thought to have boarded the boat - with two presumably nonetheless lacking at sea, France’s Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea mentioned.

Six had been recovered in severe situation, certainly one of whom was flown by helicopter to a Calais hospital and declared lifeless.

An up to date assertion mentioned the opposite 5, who had been taken in by boat, had additionally died.

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A passing ship first raised the alarm {that a} vessel was sinking close to Calais within the early hours of Saturday, the prefecture mentioned.

Some 22 individuals had been rescued and dropped off in Dover, together with by a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) crew, which was launched shortly earlier than 4am, and a British chartered ship.

At least 36 different survivors had been collected by French boats and brought to the port of Calais, in addition to the 5 individuals who died.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman chaired a gathering with Border Force officers afterward Saturday morning, describing the incident as a “tragic loss of life”.

She is being up to date on newest developments within the operation.

A UK Government spokesperson mentioned: “These deaths are devastating and our thoughts are with the victims’ families and friends at this time.

“This incident is sadly another reminder of the extreme dangers of crossing the Channel in small boats and how vital it is that we break the people smugglers’ business model and stop the boats.”

Rescue groups from Folkestone and Langdon Bay together with paramedics from South East Coast Ambulance have additionally been despatched to reply, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) mentioned.

A French Navy plane and helicopter had been deployed, asssisted by various boats and service provider vessels, a British chartered ship and the UK Coastguard.

An investigation has additionally been opened by the Boulogne prosecutor’s workplace.

It comes after 755 individuals crossed the English Channel in small boats on Thursday, the best every day quantity up to now this 12 months, confirming the entire since 2018 has handed 100,000.

Some 343 individuals in six boats had been detected crossing the Channel on Friday, in line with Home Office figures.

It means greater than 1,000 made the journey over two days and takes the provisional whole for the 12 months up to now to greater than 16,000.

Thursday’s figures had been recorded as one other main search and rescue operation was launched after 17 migrants went overboard and had been pulled from the water.

The Home Office mentioned they had been all taken ashore for medical checks.

Campaigners mentioned the incident underscored the necessity for secure passages into the UK.

Steve Smith, chief govt of refugee charity Care4Calais mentioned the incident was an “appalling and preventable tragedy.”

“This terrible loss of life demonstrates yet again the need for a system of safe passage to the UK for refugees. This would enable them to apply for asylum while in France, and then to travel safely to the UK without risking their lives in small boats.

“It would put the people smugglers out of business overnight,” he mentioned.

Enver Solomon, chief govt of the Refugee Council, urged the Government to give attention to creating an “orderly and humane asylum system”.

He accused the Government of “focusing on passing expensive and unworkable legislation and shutting down existing safe ways to get to the UK.”

Head of bargaining on the Public and Commercial Services union Paul O’Connor mentioned the Government had “blood on its hands”, branding its strategy a “moral disgrace”.

“There is a readily available policy to prevent this tragic loss of life,” he mentioned.

“Unfortunately, our calls on the Government to adopt it have fallen on stony ground. It’s clear they have no desire to prevent these dangerous crossings.”

Shadow dwelling secretary Yvette Cooper mentioned it's “desperately” essential to cease harmful crossings and “the terrible criminal smuggling gangs who profit while lives are lost”.

Natalie Elphicke, Conservative MP for Dover, mentioned the deadly incident bolstered the necessity for joint patrols within the Channel.

She instructed the PA news company: “Today’s tragedy underlines why we must stop the small boats to keep people safe and prevent loss of life in the Channel.

“These overcrowded and unseaworthy deathtraps should obviously be stopped by the French authorities from leaving the French coast in the first place.

“The time has come for joint patrols on the French coast and a cross-Channel security zone before any more lives are lost.”

It comes after the Government got here below fireplace on Friday following the removing asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge as a result of discovery of Legionella micro organism within the water provide.

The vessel had been billed as an alternative choice to housing migrants in costly lodges however all 39 on board have now been positioned in different lodging whereas well being checks are carried out.

Senior Conservative MP David Davis mentioned the disembarkment revealed the “startling incompetence” of the Home Office whereas fellow Tory backbencher Tim Loughton mentioned it was an “embarassment.”

The Home Office has mentioned the well being and welfare of asylum seekers “remains an utmost priority” and that the evacuation was a precautionary measure, with nobody on board having fallen sick.