Child Dies Falling From Overcrowded Migrant Boat Channel Crossing Amid Rising Death Toll

A tragic incident occurred in the English Channel where a child, believed to be a young teenager, died after falling off an overcrowded small boat attempting to cross from France to the UK. This incident followed the deaths of two Somali women in a similar crossing attempt the previous day. Emergency services rescued 48 migrants from the same boat, which reportedly continued its journey to the UK with approximately 50 people still on board. The prosecutor in Boulogne-sur-Mer has opened an investigation into the child's death and the weekend's deaths overall, targeting the people smugglers responsible. This year has seen a record number of deaths, with at least 21 fatalities in such crossing attempts so far in 2024, contributing to a total of 78 deaths since smugglers began using small boats in 2018. Both the UK and French governments have pledged to strengthen cooperation to combat people smuggling amid these ongoing tragedies.