Over 150 Migrants Rescued From Burning Channel Boat

More than 150 migrants were rescued after a boat attempting to cross the Channel caught fire on Tuesday morning, French authorities said.

The French maritime prefecture for the Channel and North Sea said the vessel was travelling towards the UK when its engine caught fire. It said 157 people were pulled to safety and were being taken to port in Boulogne-sur-Mer. French authorities said there were no reports of anyone being injured or killed.

The incident comes a day after UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the government would be “relentless” in curbing the number of people arriving in the UK on small boats.

Overnight Rescue Requests

French authorities said the boat left France on Monday night.

They said that during the night, five people on board required rescue. The prefecture added that the remaining people refused assistance offered by French patrol boats.

In a statement, it said migrants attempting to reach the UK in small boats refused help from French emergency services, accepting it only in situations of extreme emergency.

The prefecture said that, because of the “structural fragility” of vessels used for Channel crossings, it did not intervene further at that stage.

Engine Fire and Rapid Deterioration

This morning, the engine caught fire, the maritime prefecture said. It added that the vessel’s condition deteriorated very rapidly after the fire began.

As the situation developed, rescue teams were deployed from both France and the UK.

Rescue Boats Respond From Both Sides

French and UK boats went to the scene, including the RNLI Eastbourne lifeboat. UK Border Force vessels BSC Contender and BSC Courageous were also involved, according to the prefecture.

French authorities said two French boats rescued 103 migrants. They said British boats rescued 54 more people.

All those rescued were then taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer for treatment.

Expected Arrival for Treatment

The maritime prefecture said the rescue groups were expected to arrive in Boulogne-sur-Mer at 12:30 local time (11:30 BST) on Tuesday, where the migrants would receive medical care.

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4 August 2026