English Channel: 7-year-old girl dies after boat capsizes near Dunkirk, France

A seven-year-old girl has died after a small boat capsized while trying to reach the English Channel in northern France.

Officials said the boat was carrying 16 migrants when it sank a few kilometers off the coast of Dunkirk.

Local authorities said in a statement that the boat was “not of appropriate size to carry so many people.”

It added that the girl's parents, who were traveling with three other children, were taken to hospital in Dunkirk.

Local authorities Préfet du Nord said police and fire services were called to the scene after a pedestrian reported the boat capsizing.

The agency added in a statement that authorities believe the vessel was “probably stolen” and was not large enough to support the number of people on board.

“There were a couple of known origins and four children on board, including the pregnant mother,” Préfais du Nord said.

“The couple's 7-year-old daughter drowned.''

Two men and six young children were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the Préfais du Nord newspaper said.

The Dunkirk prosecutor's office also said that “several people have been detained” in connection with the incident, according to AFP news agency.

The latest deaths come after three migrants were killed on Wednesday when their boat encountered difficulties while attempting to cross the English Channel.

More than 2,000 migrants have arrived in the UK so far this year, Home Office figures show.