GENEVA

Six people died and 50 others were rescued after a migrant boat capsized while crossing the English Channel, the French authorities said on Saturday.

France's Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea said in a statement that the exact number of people is "not easy to calculate."

"The human toll in the British sector is currently being consolidated," it added.

In an earlier statement, it said six people were recovered in serious condition and one of them, who was airlifted to a hospital in Calais, was declared dead, while 50 have been rescued.

While a search for the missing passengers is continuing, it said, an investigation is opened by the Boulogne prosecutor's office.

In his speech on Jan. 4, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said tackling the problem of irregular migration boats, also known as Channel crossings, is among the top five priorities of his government.

According to official data, a record 45,756 migrants crossed the Channel to the UK in 2022.