Flimsy dinghy that led to death of eight migrants

A damaged migrants” boat that is thought 1 to be the vessel that got into trouble while crossing the Channel AFP via Getty)

- JABED AHMED

Pictures have emerged of the flimsy rubber boat that crashed off the coast of France, leading to the death of eight migrants.

The eight people died overnight on Saturday while attempting to cross the Channel. An additional six migrants are in hospital, including a 10-month-old baby, authorities have said.

Rescue services were called to waters in the commune of Ambleteuse around 1am local time. The rubber vessel had around 50 people on board and started to sink not long after leaving the coast. Yesterday morning, the wreckage of a vessel thought to be the boat was pictured on the coastline.

Jacques Billant, the prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region, said that rescue crews were alerted that a boat with 59 people on board was in difficulty in waters off the coast of Ambleteuse.

“A new drama took place around one in the morning and we deplore the death of eight people,” he told a news conference, adding that the other 51 on board were now in the care of rescue and medical crews.

Six people were taken to hospital “in relative emergency,” including a 10-month-old baby with hypothermia, he said. The dead were men from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Egypt, Iran and Afghanistan, Mr Billant added.