A small boat carrying around 40 migrants has sunk off the southeastern coast of England in freezing temperatures, killing some of those on board, the BBC reported on Wednesday.
Britain’s government and emergency officials confirmed that an incident was ongoing, with lifeboats, helicopters, and rescue teams working with the French and British navies to respond to an event that occurred at around 3:40am.
British radio station LBC reported that 43 people had been rescued, with “a small number” having died. Sky News said at least three people had died.
“We are aware of an incident in UK waters and all relevant agencies are supporting a coordinated response,” a spokesperson for the government said. Temperatures have plunged across Britain in the last week, bringing snow to parts of the country.
The temperature was logged at 2 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit) in a nearby town on Wednesday morning.—AP
