Tragedy struck just after 3am on Wednesday when a dinghy carrying asylum seekers capsized in the icy waters of the English Channel near Dungeness. Officials believe three people have died and up to 47 were thrown into the water.
The coastguard confirmed they are leading the emergency response. The alarm was raised at 3:40am, prompting a swift rescue effort. A small boat search mission was deployed, supported by lifeboats from Dover and Dungeness, as well as the Royal Navy’s HMS Severn patrol vessel.
Two rescue helicopters scrambled from Lydd and Northumbria joined the frantic search. An air ambulance landed in Dover just before 8:30am, with ambulances lined up at the harbour ready to receive survivors.
A source close to the operation warned that rescuers do not expect many survivors due to the freezing sea temperatures. Earlier reports suggested 27 people may have been brought ashore, but the exact number of rescued individuals remains unclear amid ongoing efforts.
“We are aware of an incident in UK waters, and all relevant agencies are supporting a coordinated response,” said a UK Government spokesman. “More information will be provided in due course.”
The South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed they were alerted by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency at 3:40am and have rushed resources to Dover to assist with the rescue. They added: “We have no further updates at this time because this is an ongoing incident.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
