More than 150 migrants rescued after boat catches fire in Channel

More than 150 migrants person been rescued aft the vessel they were utilizing to transverse the Channel caught occurrence connected Tuesday morning, French authorities person said.

The vessel was attempting to transverse to the UK erstwhile its motor caught fire, according to the French maritime prefecture of the Channel and North Sea.

It said 157 radical person been rescued and are being taken to larboard successful Boulogne-sur-Mer. There are nary reports of anyone having been injured oregon killed.

It comes conscionable a time aft Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged his authorities volition beryllium "relentless" successful curbing the fig of radical arriving successful the UK connected tiny boats.

French authorities said the vessel near France connected Monday night.

Overnight "five radical connected committee the vas required rescue... the remaining radical connected committee refused the assistance offered by the French patrol boats", the French maritime prefecture said.

"Determined to scope the United Kingdom, migrants crossing the Channel successful tiny boats refused assistance offered by French exigency service, accepting it lone successful situations of utmost emergency," it said successful a statement.

Because of the "structural fragility" of boats utilized to transverse the Channel, it said they decided not to intervene further astatine that stage.

But this greeting the motor caught occurrence and the "vessel's integrity deteriorated precise rapidly".

Rescue boats went to the country from France and the UK, including the RNLI Eastbourne lifeboat and the UK Border Force vessels BSC Contender and BSC Courageous.

Two French boats rescued 103 migrants and the British boats rescued 54.

All of them are being taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer for treatment, wherever they are expected to get determination astatine 12:30 section clip (11:30 BST) connected Tuesday.

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