Migrant man dies trying to cross the English Channel after small boat deflates

PARIS (AP) — An Indian man about 40 years old has died in northern France after the inflated boat he and other migrants had boarded to cross the English Channel deflated. French authorities say a group of migrants launched their small boat around 5:30 a.m. local time on Sunday morning, some 15 miles west of Calais. They say the boat “appeared to be in very poor condition” and deflated immediately after departure. Not everyone was equipped with a life jacket. This was just one of 57 attempts by migrants to cross the channel since Monday. This year is proving to be the deadliest for migrants’ crossing attempts aboard small boats since they started surging in 2018, with 56 deaths so far.