Local Media in the Calais city in France have reported that a tribute service will be held in honour of a baby that died on Thursday night in an overloaded migrant boat which reportedly started sinking off the coast of Wissant in northern France with 65 persons rescued alive.

According to Calais local newspapers, “on the night of October 17 to 18, a new tragedy took place off the coast of Wissant. An infant lost his life when a boat sank, trying to cross the Channel to join England. The Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea announced that sixty-five people were rescued safe and sound, but an infant found unconscious in the water could not be revived.

The year 2024 : a dark record of mortality in the English Channel. 2024 is the deadliest year since the beginning of fortune boat crossings. At least 52 people lost their lives trying to cross the maritime border. Among those victims, many children. On September 3, six of the twelve people who died in the worst shipwreck of the year were minors. On October 5, a two-year-old boy was crushed to death in a boat carrying more than 80 people.

Figures provided by British authorities show a significant rise: vessels arriving into England since January 1 have an average of 53 passengers, up from 13 in 2020, according to a calculation compiled by Offshore BFM. Since the beginning of the year, more than 26,000 people have crossed the Channel to reach British coasts.

A citizen tribute will take place tomorrow  evening at 18:30 in front of Richelieu Park, in Calais”.

A baby had been confirmed died, and 65 others persons were rescued after an overloaded migrant dinghy headed for the UK from France capsized and sank on Thursday night.

French maritime authorities managed to save the survivors, but the baby, found unconscious, was later declared dead, according to AFP report.

“This tragic incident marks 2024 as the deadliest year since 2018 for migrants attempting the dangerous English Channel crossing.

The accident occurred near the French town of Wissant, according to the maritime authority overseeing the Channel and the North Sea.

They stated, “65 people were rescued but a baby was found unconscious and sadly declared dead.”

This latest tragedy brings the total number of migrants who have died while trying to cross the Channel in 2024 to at least 52, setting a grim record not seen in six years.

On September 3, twelve migrants – six children and six adults – lost their lives. Just a month later, a two-year-old boy and three adults also perished in similar incidents involving overloaded boats.

British figures show that the number of migrants arriving in boats averaged 53 this year, a significant increase compared to 13 in 2020.

Over 26,000 migrants have landed on British shores since January 1, according to data from the UK Home Office.

Four ships, including a French Navy vessel, and a helicopter were involved in the operation to help those on board the stricken craft”, AFP reported.

A statement from French maritime authorities said: “On the evening of Thursday, October 17, the departure of a migrant boat off the coast of Wissant was reported to the Gris-Nez regional operational surveillance and rescue centre (CROSS).

“Once on site, the resources noted that the boat, which was heavily loaded, was in difficulty and that some of the people were in the water. The resources then put their semi-rigid boats in the water and began to recover the people in difficulty.”

The statement added that a boat named Abeille Normandie took 65 people on board, and another vessel, the Minck, recovered an “an unconscious infant” who was transferred aboard the Abeille Normandie .

It added that paramedics from the helicopter boarded the Abeille Normandie but that sadly the child was “declared dead by the dispatching doctor”.

The statement continued: “The area of the shipwreck having been fully investigated, the maritime prefect of the Channel and the North Sea decided to interrupt the searches led by the CROSS.

“The 65 castaways and the deceased infant rescued by the Abeille Normandie were then dropped off at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer.

“Once at the quayside, all the castaways were taken care of by land rescue services and border police.”