English Channel migrant boat fire triggers rescue of 157 near French waters

Paris,UPDATED: Aug 4, 2026 17:02 IST

French and British teams rescued 157 migrants after a boat trying to cross the English Channel caught fire and began to break apart, French maritime authorities said. The operation involved rescue vessels, a Navy helicopter, medical teams and British responders.

The boat's engine caught fire on Tuesday morning while it was still in France's rescue zone near British waters, according to a statement from the maritime prefecture for the English Channel and the North Sea. All 157 people rescued were to be taken to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France for medical checks and assistance.

French authorities said 103 people were rescued by French vessels and 54 by British vessels. France sent two rescue ships, a Navy helicopter and medical personnel. Britain's Royal Lifeboat Institution and Border Force also joined the operation.

The boat had left the Normandy coast on Monday and was being monitored by French rescue vessels. During the night, five people on board needed help and were brought ashore at Boulogne-sur-Mer, while the remaining passengers refused assistance from French rescuers, the statement said.

French maritime authorities said migrants attempting the crossing in makeshift, overloaded boats often refuse rescue unless they face immediate danger. The statement said rescuers do not force people off such boats because of the risk of capsizing and endangering lives. Last week, four people died in two separate attempts to cross the Channel in small boats.

Earlier this year, the UK and French governments signed a new multi-million-euro deal to reduce the number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats, with increased police patrols and stronger surveillance in northern France. The plan includes new technology aimed at reducing departures of "taxi boats", the term used by authorities for small motorised vessels, usually inflatable, that smugglers use to pick up migrants along long stretches of the northern French coast. The latest rescue came after the boat left Normandy, five people were brought ashore overnight, and 157 others were later rescued when the vessel caught fire and started breaking apart.

With PTI Inputs

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