Deaths in Boat Disaster in English Channel Were Avoidable, Inquiry Finds

A report from Nytimes says an official inquiry found the deaths of about 30 people trying to reach Britain in 2021 were "avoidable." Ross Cranston, the retired judge who led the inquiry commissioned by the British government, placed primary blame on people smugglers.

The inquiry said many lives could have been saved if the authorities had acted differently, citing flawed decisions by the British Coast Guard and a nearby French warship that did not respond to a mayday call. It also described chronic staff shortages and other issues as "a significant, systemic failure" by the British government.

At least 27 people, including children as young as 7, are known to have died and four others are missing and presumed dead; only two survived. Passengers made multiple calls for help, sent their location, and the coast guard issued a mayday, but searches were stopped and no one was looking by morning, the report said.

United Kingdom, English Channel