UPDATE - 4 dead when migrant boat capsizes in English Channel

CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, UPDATES WITH NEW INFORMATION, STATEMENTS

LONDON (AA) – Four people died when a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Kent, England, the British government confirmed Wednesday.

As many as 43 people were saved after the incident, which prompted a joint search and rescue by British and French authorities in the English Channel.

Calling the capsizing "a truly tragic incident,” a statement said the number of the dead stands at four.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said her "heartfelt thoughts" were with those involved.

Speaking later at the House of Commons, Braverman said a rescue operation was in place and a full statement would be provided once an investigation into the incident is completed.

“Tragically, there have been four fatalities. It would be inappropriate to speak for me to go into further detail at this time,” she said.

She said she spoke to agencies involved in the rescue operation as well as her French counterpart Gerald Darmanin.

Speaking about the government’s new approach to illegal crossings into the country, revealed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday, Braverman reiterated that illegal crossings must come to an end.

“It is vital, literally vital that we end the illegal crossings in the channel,” she said.

UK Coast Guard helicopters alongside a French Navy copter were part of the operation.

There were more than 40 people onboard the vessel, according to media reports.

More than 40,000 people have crossed the British Channel by small boats in 2022, according to official figures.

In 2021, 27 migrants died after launching their journey from the French coast to England, in the worst disaster in the channel to date.