About 30 immigrants, whose boat capsized in the English Channel as they tried to reach Britain, were rescued today but one of them died, according to French authorities.
A French Coast Guard boat arrived at the boat, which had sailed from a beach near Calais overnight, and managed to save most of the passengers. One of the migrants, a young man from Sudan, was found dead at sea, according to Deputy Governor Frederic Samson. This man died of hypothermia as the temperature in the English Channel ranges between -1 to -3 degrees Celsius this season.
The survivors, some of whom wore only flip-flops and carried their belongings in plastic garbage bags, boarded a bus and will be temporarily housed in the Calais area.
The English Channel is one of the busiest sea lanes in the world and the currents in the area are very strong. Traffickers often overload boats, so much so that as soon as they arrive, the migrants are at the mercy of the waves as they try to reach the British authorities. In November, 27 people drowned in the worst tragedy to date in the English Channel, sparking a dispute between London and Paris over who was responsible.
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