Child among three killed off French coast in Channel crossing attempt

Three people, including ⁠a child, have died off the coast of France while attempting to cross the English Channel to the United Kingdom, French authorities have said. France’s maritime police ‌said they had received a distress call from an inflatable dinghy carrying 105 people that ⁠had run into trouble ⁠in calm seas. The prefecture said the incident involving a “taxi boat” occurred off the coast of Wissant, a seaside village in northern France. “Taxi boat” refers to a dinghy that approaches the beach from the sea to pick up migrants in shallow waters off the beach. All passengers on board requested rescue and were taken into care, said the maritime prefecture, adding that the dinghy had not sunk.