At least 39 people have died in Channel crossings this year

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover onboard the RNLI Dungeness Lifeboat. Picture: PA

At least 39 people have now died crossing the English Channel in 2024, with Saturday night’s incident raising the toll by eight.

The group died despite a rescue operation after their boat got into difficulty while trying to cross to England, French authorities said.