Research has shown that drowning is the leading cause of death for the four people who died after a boat capsized in the English Channel.
The dead have not been identified, according to Kent coroner Katrina Hepburnwho opened an inquest at County Hall in Maidstone on Friday morning.
According to a Kent police report, it is “likely” that two were Afghans and the other three were Senegalese. It continued: “The preliminary cause of death is consistent with drowning.”
In light of an ongoing police investigation, Ms Hepburn has postponed the hearings to a later date.
Just a day later Rishi Sunak announced measures to reduce the number of people attempting the dangerous crossing of the English Channel, disaster struck on December 14.
At around 3:05 a.m., reports of a small boat in trouble aroused authorities, prompting a concerted rescue effort. A heartbreaking video showed a fishing crew on the Arcturus yanking people on the ropes on the side of a half-deflated dinghy.
According to reportsthe inflatable flipped over when the temperature dropped to -4°C.
Mr. Sunak had made the following statement in the Commons: “I am sure the whole house will join in my grief at the terrible loss of life and the capsizing of a small boat in the English Channel in the early hours of this morning.”
“Our thoughts go out to all those affected and our condolences to all involved in the massive rescue operation,” was the statement.
Following the incident, Clare Moseley, the founder of Care4Calais, criticized the government, accusing it of “doing nothing to prevent further tragedies and abandon both the refugees who need our care and our country”.
She added: “There are no words to express our horror and sadness at today’s tragedy.”
Small boats carried more than 40,000 passengers across the English Channel in 2022. This is the largest number since data collection began in 2018.
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After a small boat capsized, four migrants drowned in the icy English Channel, research shows
After their small boat capsized in the early hours of December 14, another 39 people had to be rescued. A small boat capsized in the English Channel last week, killing four migrants who drowned in the icy waters, according to an inquest.
According to senior coroner Patricia Hardingwho presided over the hearing at Maidstone’s County Hall, the fatalities have not yet been identified.
However, a report by Kent Police Detective Inspector Ross Garden said it is “possible” that two of them were Afghans, while the others were Senegalese. ‘The provisional cause of death is consistent with drowning’ it said.
In the early hours of December 14, 39 more people were rescued from the icy water.
Following reports of a boat in danger off the Kent coast, the Royal Navy, French Navy, Coast Guard, RNLI, ambulance service and police all took part in a significant effort. A fishing boat was the first of three vessels to assist in the rescue.
In light of an ongoing police investigation, Ms Hepburn has postponed the hearings to a later date.
Kent and Essex’s Serious Crime Directorate is investigating the fatalities with the help of the National Crime Service.
Last week, 19-year-old Ibrahima Bah, of no fixed address, was charged with “knowingly facilitating” the attempted arrival of people “he knew or had reasonable grounds to believe were asylum seekers”. according to Kent police.
He appeared before Folkestone Magistrates’ Court in Kent on Monday and pleaded not guilty to aiding an attempt to enter the country illegally.
British officials are believed to have rescued a further 50 asylum seekers from a second small boat that capsized in the English Channel on the same night. The Border Force team rescued everyone from the icy water in that incident.
After the tragic event, Rishi Sunak was under further pressure to create a safe refugee route to the UK.
However, he concluded that he could not begin reviewing Britain’s asylum system until the number of illegal immigrants had been reduced according to his plan, despite his claim that the terrible deaths reinforced the need to crack down on high-risk Channel crossings.
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A new small boat operations command has been established and an additional 600 employees have been hired to fill front-line positions in and around Dover as part of measures to reduce cross-Channel crossings.
The Department of Defense’s current leadership role in Channel operations ends January 31, and Border Force will once again assume overall responsibility.
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