Share
14th December 2022
01:03pm GMT
A major rescue operation involving HM Coastguard, Navy, Border Force and police was launched in UK waters in freezing conditions after reports of an incident at about 03:40 GMT.
The coastguard, the French Navy and an air ambulance were sent to help, and a nearby fishing boat also helped with the rescue.
An air ambulance was sent to the scene in Kent early on Wednesday morning.
It has since been confirmed that four people have died, with a person close to the situation telling the BBC that 43 people had been saved, with more than 30 rescued from the water. The search operation will continue throughout the day, and many more are feared dead given the freezing conditions of the water, a source said. [caption id="attachment_370667" align="alignnone" width="1600"]
The route of one of the SAR helicopters (FlightRadar24.com)[/caption]
An Ashford hospital had been ‘told to clear the A&E’ as multiple casualties are expected, GB News claims.
Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboats have been dispatched from Dover, Dungeness, Hastings and Ramsgate alongside coastguard rescue teams from Deal, Dungeness and Folkestone.
Throughout Tuesday night, temperatures dropped to 1C in Dover, with it likely to have been colder out at sea. A yellow weather warning for ice was in place across Kent at the time.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier expressed his sorrow at the "tragic loss of human life".
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was "heartbreaking" that there have been more deaths in the Channel, and Dover MP Natalie Elphicke said she was "very saddened" to hear of the tragedy.
Explore more on these topics:
