Three people, including two children, died overnight off the coast of Calais as they attempted to cross the English Channel, French authorities have said.

The ages of the children are not known but French media reported that they were on a boat which had 38 people on board.

The Prefect of Pas-de-Calais, Laurent Touvet, told reporters that another three people who were on a separate boat trying to cross at Neufchâtel-Hardelot were unaccounted for.

He indicated that those who died were likely crushed to the bottom of the boat. Mr Touvet told reporters the smuggling gangs were responsible for the deaths – and vowed to go after them.

France’s assistance and rescue tug, Abeille Normandie, rescued those aboard at about 05:00 local time (04:00 BST) on Wednesday. The boat was off the coast of Sangatte, near Calais.

A third boat carrying 115 people was rescued by the French navy’s patrol boat. Mr Touvet said no injuries were reported in the third boat, but it marked “probably the highest number we’ve ever seen”.

More than 20 people are thought to have lost their lives in the Channel this year. One Tuesday, a woman died after attempting to cross the Channel in a small boat carrying other migrants off the coast of Dover.

More than 30,000 people have reached the UK in small boats so far in 2025 and more than 50,000 have crossed since Labour came into power in July 2024.

Last year 50 people died while trying to cross the Channel, according to incidents recorded by the French coastguard, in what is considered the deadliest year since the crisis unfolded.

In July, France and the UK agreed on a returns deal, which was designed as a deterrent to stop boats from crossing the Channel.

The “one in, one out” plan proposes that for each migrant the UK returns to France, another migrant with a strong case for asylum in Britain will come the other way.