Four people died on Thursday, April 9th off the coast of northern France as they tried to board a small boat to cross the English Channel, bringing the known total of such deaths this year to six.
The two men and two women were swept away by the current near the village of Équihen-Plage, regional official François-Xavier Lauch said. Another person was treated for hypothermia, while 37 others were taken into the care of the emergency services.
Two men—one Sudanese and the other Afghan—died last week trying to make a similar crossing, marking the first reported deaths in the Channel this year.
Despite a recent shift to the Belgian coast, France has long been a launchpad for migrants hoping to reach Britain by undertaking the dangerous and illegal journey in often flimsy, overcrowded vessels.
