Eight migrants have lost their lives in a desperate attempt to cross the English Channel from France to England, according to French authorities.
BBC reports that the incident occurred overnight, with rescue teams alerted at 1:00 AM local time (12:00 AM BST) after the vessel encountered difficulties off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern Pas-de-Calais.
Report says approximately 50 people were onboard the rubber boat, which began to sink shortly after departure.
The tragic incident comes just days after a similar tragedy claimed the lives of 12 people, including six children and a pregnant woman, in the Channel's deadliest accident this year.
Statement from The French coast guard said the boat was seen heading towards a beach in the town of Ambleteuse but rescue teams could not offer assistance from the sea.
On the beach, emergency services provided care to 53 people and confirmed eight had died, the coast guard said. No other people were found during sea searches.
Authorities said an investigation has been opened by the Boulogne-sur-mer public prosecutor's office.
A UK government spokesperson who confirmed the latest incident to BBC said French authorities were leading the response and investigation.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said it was "awful" to hear of a "further loss of life" in the Channel.
Lammy in a Programme on BBC called The Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg said many people were "of course not able to make it" across the Channel, having seen the types of rubber dinghies people have been using.
He also reaffirmed the government's commitment to collaborating with European allies to combat human trafficking organizations and prevent illegal small boat crossings,
French authorities report a surge in Channel crossing attempts, due to a recent spell of calm weather has led to a flurry of attempts with French maritime authorities reporting the rescue of 200 people in just 24 hours.
The reports added that Between Friday and Saturday, the French coast guard and other emergency responders came to the aid of four separate boats in distress- one with 61, another with 55, and two others with 48 and 36 each.
Eighteen attempted crossings were monitored by authorities over the course of the day as well as the tragic loss of eight more lives in the Channel brings the total death toll to 45 this year, marking the highest recorded number of fatalities since 2021, as reported by the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
