Two women die while trying to cross Channel in small boat

Two women have died while trying to cross the English Channel from France in a small boat.

The boat ran aground on a beach in northern France, according to a local official, and it had been carrying around 82 people.

Three other passengers are reported to be in a critical condition.

The two women who died are believed to have been in their 20s and of Sudanese origin, according to secretary-general of the Pas-de-Calais prefecture, Christophe Marx.

He added that "the investigation and interviews that will take place will help determine the nationality of the two individuals".

Mr Marx said the women were found "dead inside the boat".

The official said the boat set off overnight into Sunday from Hardelot beach but "the engine failed to start" and the boat began to drift, Mr Marx said.

A total of 17 people were rescued at sea and taken to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer. The boat eventually ran aground on the beach with 65 people still onboard.

Last Sunday, more than 100 migrants were rescued from the English Channel.

A total of 106 migrants were pulled from the sea by the French coastguard after the dinghy they were travelling in broke down.

They were transferred to a rescue ship before being taken to Calais, according to French authorities.

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One of them, a woman, lost consciousness and had to be airlifted to safety by helicopter, France's maritime authority said.

The incident a week ago came a few days after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed a three-year, £662m agreement with France to support beach patrols as part of efforts to drive down the number of arrivals.

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