Two women have died while trying to cross the Channel to Britain, French authorities said.
The incident occurred south of the beaches of Neufchâtel-Hardelot, where about 100 people were trying to get to the UK on a makeshift boat.
About 60 people were currently being taken care of, said Isabelle Fradin-Thirode, an official in nearby Montreuil-sur-Mer.
The French authorities said the women went into cardiac arrest. Rescue services attempted to resuscitate them but were unsuccessful.
The two women died in a dinghy that launched at 3.15am off the coast of Neufchâtel-Hardelot. The boat returned to the beach at about 4.15am, after drifting without being able to start the engine.
Firefighters were called to the dinghy after a report of a child suffering from hypothermia and found the two women in cardiopulmonary arrest.
A doctor pronounced them dead at 5am. The child along with both parents, also suffering from hypothermia, were taken to Boulogne hospital for treatment.
An investigation, under the authority of the Boulogne-sur-Mer public prosecutor, is under way to determine the circumstances of the tragedy.
A spokesperson for the préfet of Pas de Calais said: “We still deplore this fact today: through greed and disregard for human life, smuggling networks are increasingly putting people, adults and children, at risk, selling them crossings across a dangerous sea aboard completely unsuitable vessels.
“In the face of this criminal cynicism, the state is demonstrating the strength of its commitment: every day, lives are saved by the determined action of police officers and gendarmes, who tirelessly fight against these departures, and by rescue operations conducted at sea by the maritime prefecture or on land by the firefighters service.”
According to a statement from the préfet of Pas de Calais, Friday night was a busy one for crossings. After a period from 20 to 25 September when there were no crossings owing to bad weather, a change to more favourable conditions meant smugglers resumed piling people into overcrowded dinghies. Officials said several crossing attempts were intercepted by police and gendarmes.
The incident brings the number of Channel crossing deaths to at least 25 this year, according to an Agence France-Presse tally based on official data.
A UK government spokesperson said: “We can confirm there has been a tragic incident involving a small boat that had attempted to cross the Channel which has resulted in the loss of two lives.
“This latest tragedy underlines the terrible dangers of small boat crossings, and we continue to do everything we can to prevent callous criminals exploiting vulnerable people. Our thoughts are with those affected.”
Since January, a record 31,000 people have arrived in Britain by crossing the Channel in small boats.
Under a recent Franco-British scheme, the UK can return them after arrival if they are deemed ineligible for asylum, including those who have passed through a “safe country” to reach UK shores. In return, London will accept an equal number of people from France who are likely to have their asylum claims granted.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
