AFP, Équihen-Plage

Four people yesterday died off the coast of northern France as they tried to board a small boat to cross the Channel to England, taking the number of such deaths this year to six.

The two men and two women were swept away by the current near the village of Equihen-Plage, regional official Francois-Xavier Lauch said.

Another person was treated for hypothermia, he said, while 37 people were taken into the care of the emergency services.

The nationalities of the four dead were not yet known, local prosecutor Cecile Gressier said.

Two men, one Sudanese and the other Afghan, died last week trying to make a similar crossing -- the first reported deaths in the Channel this year.

France has long been a launchpad for migrants hoping to reach Britain, taking the dangerous journey in often flimsy, overcrowded vessels.

Last year, at least 29 people died, according to an AFP tally based on official French and British sources. Nearly 50,000 people aboard 795 boats attempted to make the crossing last year, according to French official figures.

British authorities recorded 41,472 small-boat arrivals in 2025, the second-highest total after a record 45,774 in 2022.