ISTANBUL

Eight migrants died while crossing the English Channel off northern France, French media reported on Sunday.

French media and several international outlets reported that the incident off Ambleteuse in the Pas-de-Calais region took place overnight, leading to a rescue operation that brought survivors to a local sports hall.

This incident coincided with a busy period for French authorities, who rescued around 200 people from distressed boats over 24 hours.

The migrants rescued included 55 individuals from Le Portel and 61 from La Becque d'Hardelot, according to the media.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy lamented the incident, noting the dangerous conditions faced by irregular migrants.

"It's awful. It's a further loss of life," he told a BBC program.

The government has been "discussing how we go after those (human smuggling) gangs, in cooperation upstream with other European partners,” he added.

He also called for more coordinated efforts to combat human trafficking.

But Steve Valdez-Symonds from Amnesty International UK criticized the lack of safe asylum routes, saying: "The government's 'smash the gangs' slogan ... contributes to the death toll.”

He also called for shared responsibility between the UK and France to prevent future tragedies.

This deaths follow a similar incident less than two weeks ago where 12 people died after a boat broke apart in the channel.