More than 170 migrants were rescued on Tuesday after a small boat attempting to cross the English Channel from France to the UK caught fire, prompting a major cross-border rescue operation, BBC reported.
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French authorities said the vessel's engine caught fire before its "structural integrity deteriorated very rapidly", forcing emergency responders from both France and the UK to intervene.
The French maritime prefecture of the Channel and North Sea said 173 people were eventually rescued and brought ashore at Boulogne-sur-Mer. Eleven migrants sustained minor injuries, while no fatalities have been reported.
Migrants initially refused rescue, say French authorities
According to French officials, the boat departed northern France on Monday night. During the overnight journey, five people were rescued after requiring emergency assistance, but the remaining passengers reportedly declined help despite offers from French patrol boats.
Authorities said such refusals are common among migrants determined to reach Britain, adding that emergency teams avoided boarding the overcrowded vessel because of concerns it could become unstable.
Rescue efforts intensified only after the fire broke out and the boat rapidly became unsafe. The operation involved French rescue vessels, UK Border Force boats, the RNLI Eastbourne lifeboat, firefighters, police officers, interpreters and medical teams.
