27 migrants dead after boat capsized in English Channel

(News 1st); At least 27 migrants died after a boat capsized in the English Channel, off the coast of Calais, northern France yesterday (24). An initial toll said 31 migrants had died but the minister revised this number down to 27 late Wednesday. Speaking outside a hospital in Calais, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin stated that five women and a girl were among the dead, while two people were saved and one person is still missing. Four suspected traffickers who were accused of being directly linked to the doomed crossing in a long inflatable boat had been arrested, according to Agence France-Presse. French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson both expressed horror at the tragedy, and sent their condolences to the families of the victims. Macron said his country would not let the English Channel become a graveyard and urged his European counterparts to increase efforts to avoid future tragedies. "To the families of the victims, to their loved ones, I want to express my compassion and the unconditional support of France. I assure them that everything will be done to find and condemn those responsible, networks of smugglers who exploit misery and distress, endanger human lives and ultimately decimate families," the French President said in a statement.