Medical teams have rushed to the scene after the boat, carrying more than 50 migrants, got into trouble in the English Channel.
ADVERTISEMENTFrench maritime authorities have launched a rescue operation in the English Channel after a boat that was carrying more than 50 migrants capsized off France's northern coast, leaving at least 12 dead.
Maritime authorities say that medical teams have rushed to the scene, as many others are in a critical condition.
"Unfortunately, the bottom of the boat ripped open," said Olivier Barbarin, mayor of Le Portel near the fishing port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, where a first-aid post was set up to treat victims.
"It’s a big drama," he said, confirming that at least 12 have died.
The local prefecture said the boat got into difficulty off Gris-Nez point and everyone aboard ended up in the water.
Boats and aircraft were scrambled for the rescue operation and more than 50 people were picked up, the prefecture said. It had no other immediate information about injuries.
Medical teams were rushed to the scene and a first aid post was set up in the fishing port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, the prefecture said. Sea temperatures off northern France were around 20 degrees Celsius.
The boat was believed to be heading to the UK, in yet another perilous journey across the Channel, which is a busy and often treacherous waterway.
At least 30 migrants have died or gone missing while trying to cross to the UK this year, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
Drownings and sinkings, often aboard crowded and flimsy boats, are frequent in the busy sea lane and are something that both France and the UK are keen to crack down on.
France's President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed the issue at length at a meeting in Paris last week.
At least 2,109 migrants have tried to cross the English Channel on small boats in the past seven days, according to UK Home Office data updated on Tuesday. The data includes people found in the channel or on arrival.
It's not just the UK and France that are dealing with a migrant crisis: much of Europe is struggling to tackle illegal border and sea crossings and provide safe routes for those wishing to enter the continent.