By Kylie MacLellanLONDON (Reuters) - Unsuccessful attempts to rescue migrants from a sinking boat in the Channel in November 2021 were hampered by poor visibility and confusion over locating the right vessel, Britain's Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said on Thursday.
"The UK search and rescue response ... was hampered due to poor visibility and by the lack of a dedicated aircraft conducting aerial surveillance," it said in a report published on Thursday.
The Channel between France and Britain is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes and currents are strong, making the crossing on small boats dangerous.
On the day of the deaths, 1,227 people attempted to cross the Channel, the British government said.
More than 25,000 people have arrived in small boats so far in 2023.
Persons:
Kylie MacLellan, MAIB, Mark Harper, Rishi Sunak, Emelia Sithole
Organizations:
Kylie MacLellan LONDON, Channel, Investigation, " Coastguard, British Transport, British
Locations:
France, Britain, French, British, Rwanda