A baby died and 65 people were rescued when a migrant boat sank during an attempt to cross the English Channel

PARIS — French maritime authorities said Friday that a baby died and 65 people had to be rescued when a migrant boat sank while trying to cross the English Channel to Britain.

On Thursday evening, French rescue workers found that the overloaded boat was in difficulty and that several people were overboard. Rescuers used semi-rigid boats to pull them out of the water and saved 65 people, authorities said. French maritime authorities in a press release.

As the search continued, rescuers found an unconscious baby who was later pronounced dead by a doctor, according to the release.

The rescued migrants were taken back to the French port of Boulogne-sur-Mer to be looked after by health services and border police.

A series of shipwrecks has made 2024 the deadliest year in recent years on the Channel. Four migrants, including a 2-year-old child, died earlier this month in two separate incidents during similar crossing attempts.

Last month, at least 20 migrants died in several shipwrecks in the English Channel.