A small boat carrying around 40 migrants has sunk off the southeastern coast of England in freezing temperatures, killing some of those on board, the APA reports citing BBC.
Britain's government and emergency officials confirmed that an incident was ongoing, with lifeboats, helicopters, and rescue teams working with the French and British navies to respond to an event that occurred at around 3:40 a.m.
British radio station LBC reported that 43 people had been rescued, with "a small number" died. Sky News said at least three people had died.
"We are aware of an incident in UK waters, and all relevant agencies are supporting a coordinated response," a spokesperson for the government said. "Further details will be provided in due course."
Temperatures have plunged across Britain in the last week, bringing snow to parts of the country. The temperature was logged at 2 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit) in a nearby town on Wednesday morning.
Despite the freezing temperatures, more than 500 migrants have made the perilous journey in small boats since the weekend alone, with the people traffickers who organize the crossings taking advantage of low winds and calm seas.
They have followed the more than 40,000 who have arrived from France this year, many having made the journey from Afghanistan or Iran to travel across Europe and onto Britain.
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