Six children and pregnant woman among 12 dead as boat sinks in English channel | BBC News

At least 12 people have drowned after a boat carrying migrants sank off the French coast in the English Channel. A pregnant woman was among those who died. Six of those who lost their lives were children.

The French coast guard said more than 50 people were rescued off the Gris-Nez cape, near the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer. Two were said to be in critical condition. The migrants were reported to be from east Africa.

The French authorities said the boat was overloaded and only a handful of those on board had life jackets. The disaster is the deadliest loss of life in the Channel this year.

Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Andrew Harding.

#BBCNews

[bevspencer]

I don’t believe any of it….why is it when the boats arrive here safely they are all men, yet when there’s a catastrophe there are women and kids….BS

[poobum]

Don't break the LAW then. Survivors should be arrested and then deported not offered free money and housing.

[mack]

no doubt the BBC will blame the far right for this.

[Shaun-tcyh]

Strange how dozens and dozens of boats full of men are fine, then the one carrying women and children sinks?
Tragic if it’s true but something is fishy here

[JPnielsen]

Confirmed to be children? I mean, it's pretty hard to verify when they've thrown away all their documentation, proof of nationality and identity.

[JurassicRod]

If the government didn't keep rewarding these criminals for illegally entering the country they'd soon stop doing it. But the government for some reason want to take money from pensioners who have worked and paid into the system their whole lives to fund these criminals illegal activities.

[logangreen]

That's odd isn't it. Every single boat has only been young males in migrant boats. Now the first boat with woman and children on it sinks. Such propaganda

[Bungle-UK]

Should have stayed in France. Nobody to blame but themselves!

[rnvaamonde]

"illegal immigrants"... Call things by their names

[orbitalgordo]

I struggle to believe there were any women or children on that boat. I think that is fake news.

[ChrisAndCats]

Starmer is no more "targeting the gangs" than I can sprout wings and fly.

[RonParker]

ILLEGAL migration has consequences. Don't break laws... simple!

[chrisharter]

Don't believe the women and children part of this.

[Anakin]

How many of those boats have we ever seen containing women and children… absolute BS

[Karlsefni-fhfb]

and when you watch the video of the arriving ships you see 97-100% young men of military age. Stop the boats.

[TalkUK]

Why does the British government want these people to come here? What are they bringing to the UK? What is the UK benefiting from these people here? Questions need to be answered.

[GregPiggot]

It is sad but they really need to stop coming. Starmer needs to stop labelling concerned citizens as "far right" and actually do something to sort the migrant crisis out!

[NorthernAtlantics]

RIP 3 little girls in Southport ! And the others maimed and wounded

[BobBobOnYouTube]

They probably should’ve stayed in France or one of the other 12 safe countries they passed through on their way to Britain.

[J-PoN]

Lies no women or children on those boats