Revealed: Nearly 300 migrants crossed the English Channel on the same day three people died and dozens rescued in small boat disaster

Nearly 300 migrants crossed the English Channel on the same day, during the risky journey, three people tragically died and dozens were rescued.

Reports say a small boat carrying about 50 people sank a mile off the coast of Calais, with those on board falling into the water yesterday morning.

A large-scale rescue operation was launched, nearby ships were called in and rescue boats and helicopters were dispatched, the maritime prefecture said.

Three people were confirmed dead, and French authorities took another injured person to hospital.

More people have been spotted arriving at the Port of Dover this morning, according to the latest figures.

A large group of migrants were seen on a small boat yesterday trying to cross the English Channel

On Wednesday, British Border Force officers intercepted dozens of migrants ashore in the English Channel

According to the Home Office, on the same day as the tragedy, around 292 people tried to enter the UK in five small boats.

The migrants are believed to have made it to the other side after a separate boat capsized 2.5 miles off the coast of Sangatte in northern France.

Yesterday morning around 8:00 a.m. local time, an alarm was raised after a life jacket was spotted floating in the sea.

After being taken aboard the rescue ship, two unconscious people were pronounced dead and attempts to resuscitate them failed.

Another person lost his life shortly after arriving at hospital, while the French Coast Guard rescued 45 passengers.

An estimated 28,645 people have crossed the English Channel this year alone, an increase of almost eight percent on the same point last year.

At least 55 people died during the crossing this year, which has been described as the deadliest year in the crossing’s history.

A spokesman for the UK Home Office said: ‘This devastating tragedy is yet another reminder that smuggling gangs only care about the profits they make, not the lives they put at risk.

“We will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice.

“Our new Border Security Command will strengthen our global partnerships and enhance our efforts to investigate, arrest and prosecute these vile criminals.”

Fire trucks arrive at the port of Calais in northwestern France on October 23, 2024, following the deaths of two migrants trying to cross the English Channel

A police car leaves the port of Calais in northwestern France on October 23, 2024, after the death of two migrants

Refugee organizations continued to urge the government to create safe alternatives to the dangerous crossing route, where deaths in the English Channel have become “appallingly regular”.

The ruling came shortly after more than 600 migrants crossed the English Channel just a day after the tragic death of a child who escaped from his father’s arms during the dangerous journey.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said at the time that more people had died this year than in the previous three years combined.

He said: “This procession of death and tragedy shows that we need to rethink our approach. If we continue like this, we will continue to lose lives.

However, the rising mortality rate in the English Channel does not appear to have deterred people from trying to reach Kent.