Two young women have died after reportedly suffocating aboard an overcrowded migrant boat attempting to cross the English Channel to the United Kingdom from northern France, officials confirmed on Sunday.
The victims, believed to be of Sudanese origin and aged around 20, were among more than 80 migrants crammed into a small vessel that departed from waters near Neufchâtel-Hardelot, a coastal town south of Boulogne-sur-Mer.
According to local authorities, the boat encountered difficulties shortly after setting off during the night, with its engine failing and leaving it adrift at sea. Christophe Marx, a regional official, said 17 people were rescued and taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer, while the remaining passengers were later brought ashore when the vessel ran aground near Neufchâtel-Hardelot.
The two women were discovered dead inside the boat.
“They did not drown,” Marx said, adding that the likely cause of death was suffocation—an all-too-common occurrence on overcrowded migrant vessels.
Aid group Utopia 56 provided a slightly different account, identifying the victims as a 16-year-old girl and a 20-year-old woman. The organisation also reported that a pregnant woman on board was in critical condition.
Local mayor Paulette Juilien-Peuvion described the incident as deeply distressing, highlighting the vulnerability of those attempting the perilous journey.
“There were pregnant women and children among them. It is heartbreaking to see these young people trying to flee,” she said, adding that overcrowding may have caused the victims to be crushed at the bottom of the boat, leading to cardiac arrest.
The tragedy marks the third such fatal incident in just over a month involving migrants attempting the dangerous crossing between France and the United Kingdom, underscoring the ongoing humanitarian crisis and risks faced by those seeking refuge in Europe.
