Indian Man Dies As Boat Deflates While Trying To Cross English Channel

An Indian man died on Sunday in an attempt to cross the Channel to Britain, French officials said. 

He had set off from the beach of Tardinghen in northern France but died when the vessel, which was in "very poor condition", deflated "immediately" after leaving the beach, officials said.

Not all the passengers had life jackets, but most on board were able to swim back to shore.

The man, around 40 years old, was in "cardio-respiratory arrest" and could not be revived by emergency services, officials said.

Record 56 people have so far died on the France-Britain route across the Channel in 2024.

Last week, two men and a woman were killed when their boat was wrecked around two kilometres offshore near the port city of Calais. The previous week, a four-month-old baby had died after a boat disintegrated.

According to officials, over 29,000 migrants have made it across the Channel since the start of 2024.