Paris, Aug. 4: More than 150 migrants were rescued after a boat caught fire while attempting to cross the English Channel from France to the United Kingdom on Tuesday morning, French maritime authorities said.
According to French Channel and North Sea officials, the overcrowded boat was carrying migrants seeking to reach the UK when its engine caught fire in the middle of the crossing. A total of 157 people were safely rescued and taken to the French port of Boulogne-sur-Mer for medical assessment. No deaths or injuries were reported.
Authorities said the vessel had departed the French coast on Monday night. Earlier in the journey, five people required emergency evacuation, but the remaining passengers reportedly refused assistance from French patrol boats, determined to continue toward the UK.
French officials said the migrants accepted rescue only after the engine fire rapidly worsened the situation, making the vessel unsafe. Rescue teams from both France and the United Kingdom then launched a coordinated operation.
Two French rescue boats evacuated 103 migrants, while British vessels, including the RNLI Eastbourne Lifeboat and UK Border Force ships HMC Contender and HMC Courageous, rescued the remaining 54 people.
The incident came just one day after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged tougher measures to curb the growing number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.
All rescued migrants were transported to Boulogne-sur-Mer for medical checks and further assistance, according to French authorities and BBC reports.
