LONDON, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM – 05th Aug, 2026) British and French rescue vessels saved 173 migrants after their boat caught fire while they were attempting to cross the English Channel on Tuesday, authorities in both countries announced, marking the largest rescue operation of its kind since records began in 2018.
Authorities in France‘s Pas-de-Calais department said the fire broke out aboard a small boat near the maritime boundary between French and British waters, forcing those on board to jump into the sea.
The authorities added that no injuries or fatalities were reported.
