LONDON – A dinghy carrying nearly 160 migrants caught fire while attempting to cross the English Channel, according to British media reports on Tuesday.
The UK Coastguard confirmed that the boat caught fire on Tuesday morning while still in French waters.
French search and rescue teams, the UK Coastguard and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution responded to the incident, according to The Telegraph.
French officials said all 157 people on board were rescued and being taken to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer. There were no reports of injuries or fatalities.
The BBC, citing the French maritime prefecture for the Channel and North Sea, reported that rescue efforts began overnight after the vessel encountered difficulties.
“Five people on board the vessel required rescue … the remaining people on board refused the assistance offered by the French patrol boats,” the prefecture said.
The French authorities added that many of those aboard were determined to continue the crossing despite the risks.
“Determined to reach the United Kingdom, migrants crossing the Channel in small boats refused assistance offered by French emergency service, accepting it only in situations of extreme emergency,” the French maritime prefecture said.
French officials said they chose not to intervene further during the initial stages because of the “structural fragility” of the overcrowded boats commonly used for Channel crossings.
However, the situation worsened on Tuesday morning when the vessel’s engine caught fire.
Anadolu Agency
