A 16-year-old girl was among two migrants found dead after a UK-bound small boat caught fire during a crossing of the English Channel in the early hours of Sunday.
Emergency services discovered the victims on a beach near Neufchâtel-Hardelot, south of Boulogne-sur-Mer, after an overcrowded inflatable vessel ran aground following an onboard blaze.
French authorities said the boat had been carrying around 82 people when its engine caught fire and exploded at approximately 3am, triggering panic among those on board.
Christophe Marx, a spokesman for the Pas-de-Calais prefecture, said the victims, aged 16 and 29, were found inside the vessel.
Survivors described scenes of chaos as flames spread rapidly. One Iranian man said a problem with the engine caused it to ignite, forcing passengers to scramble backwards in a desperate attempt to escape the fire.
Local mayor Paulette Juilien Peuvion said: “One of the victims was only sixteen years old, the second was not yet thirty.
“A man on the boat had suffered severe burns and was transported to the hospital in an emergency vehicle, while five others were also in a critical condition.”
French prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation, although no arrests have yet been confirmed.
In a separate incident, 17 migrants were rescued by a French naval vessel and brought safely ashore.
The latest tragedy comes amid a renewed rise in small-boat crossings as calmer weather returns to the Channel. Despite a series of measures introduced by the British Government to curb illegal migration and disrupt people-smuggling networks, crossings have continued at pace.
Last month, four migrants died near Équihen-Plage while attempting to reach a vessel offshore, with further fatalities reported along the northern French coastline in recent days.
Officials on both sides of the Channel have repeatedly warned that the route remains among the most perilous in the world, with overcrowded boats, unseaworthy vessels and volatile conditions combining to create a persistent risk of mass casualty incidents.
The deaths are likely to intensify pressure on ministers, including Shabana Mahmood, to demonstrate that existing policies can prevent further loss of life while deterring dangerous crossings.
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