Two dead as migrant boat runs aground in northern France

In a tragic incident on a beach in northern France, two women lost their lives and 16 others sustained injuries, with three suffering from severe burns, after a migrant boat attempted a crossing to the UK but ran aground. The boat, which departed overnight from Hardelot beach near Boulogne-sur-Mer, was carrying 82 individuals when its engine failed, causing it to drift. A vessel from the French maritime gendarmerie managed to rescue 17 people, while 65 remained on the stranded boat. The deceased women, thought to be in their 20s and hailing from Sudan, likely perished from suffocation or crushing, as stated by Christophe Marx, Secretary General of the Pas-de-Calais prefecture. An investigation is currently ongoing. This marks the third fatal event involving migrants attempting to cross the Channel in just over a month.