Girl, 7, dies in English Channel crossing attempt

7 months ago 55
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File photo of a French Police officer looking out over a beach near Wimereux in FranceImage source, PA Media

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File photo of a French Police officer looking out over a beach in France

By Thomas Mackintosh

BBC News

A seven-year-old girl has died after a small boat attempting to reach the English Channel capsized in French waters, reports say.

Officials told French media the boat was carrying 16 migrants when it sank a few kilometres from the northern coast.

The boat "was not appropriately sized to carry so many people," the local authority said in a statement.

It added the girl's parents, who were travelling with three more children, were taken to a hospital in Dunkirk.

The latest death comes after three migrants died on Wednesday trying to cross the English Channel after their boat got into difficulty.

It was one of several incidents, with a total of 249 people rescued throughout the day.

Home Office figures show that more than 2,000 migrants have arrived in the UK so far this year.

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