The Maritime Prefect of the Channel and the North Sea reported that the “overloaded boat” carrying dozens of migrants disintegrated in the water, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.

One person has been confirmed dead and 61 others rescued after a migrant boat broke apart in the English Channel during an attempted crossing overnight, French authorities have said.

The Maritime Prefect of the Channel and the North Sea reported that the “overloaded boat” carrying dozens of migrants disintegrated in the water, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.

Among those rescued were a child and his mother suffering from hypothermia, Sky News reports.

The French rescue tug Abeille Normandie deployed three speedboats that recovered 50 survivors. Another two were rescued by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboat from Dungeness, and nine others were saved by the British Border Force vessel Ranger. All were eventually transferred to the French tug.

A French Navy helicopter spotted an unconscious person in the water, who was retrieved by the RNLI and taken aboard the Abeille Normandie, where they were declared dead by the onboard medical team.

A UK government spokesman said: “We can confirm there has been a tragic incident in the Channel involving a small boat in French waters which has resulted in the loss of one life.

“This latest tragedy underlines the terrible dangers of small boat crossings, and we continue to do everything we can to prevent callous criminals exploiting vulnerable people. Our thoughts are with those affected.”

The rescued child and mother were airlifted to the hospital by helicopter, while the other survivors were taken ashore at Boulogne-sur-Mer, about 30 kilometres south of Calais. Their current medical condition has not been disclosed.

The deadly incident comes amid rising Channel crossings, with more than 12,000 people recorded arriving in the UK this year alone. In the past week up to 17 May, 1,125 migrants made the dangerous journey by small boat.

Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to “Smash The Gangs” behind the smuggling networks driving such perilous crossings.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also weighed in on the broader issue of migration on Tuesday, warning that Britain “risked becoming an island of strangers” if immigration levels are not brought down.

He plans to reduce net migration by the end of the current parliamentary term in 2029.