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Last moments of a shattered dream: How Channel dinghy disaster unfolded

The inflatable boat likened to a garden paddling pool deflated a short way into its journey

Tim Stickings
Tim Stickings

November 25, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Calm weather may have prevailed over the shipping lanes that are a hub of mariners engaged in global trade, and the voyagers looked across a strait so narrow that the naked eye can see the English coast from France.

But that did not compensate for the lack of soundness of the vessel that was put into the waves. By the time the deflated dinghy was spotted in the English Channel, surrounded by motionless bodies, it was too late to save most of those who had set to sea just minutes earlier.

Wednesday's tragedy was a stark reminder of the perils faced by the thousands of migrants who have crossed this year, their fate in the hands of smugglers who often supply substandard means to make the journey to English shores.

Read more

The day everyone knew was coming: what Channel witnesses saw

At least 27 people died after their dinghy capsized off the French coast, bringing a tragic end to the dream of those who sought a new life.

Olivier Faure, an MP in northern France, said many of the victims were Kurds, news which was met with horror by Kurdish representatives in the country.

The dead included 17 men, seven women — at least one of them pregnant — and three children. Two people, one from Iraq and one from Somalia, were pulled alive from the Channel.

Their inflatable boat was, in the words of France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, no more than a garden paddling pool, overcrowded with people desperate to reach the UK.

The group entered the water between Calais and Dunkirk at France’s northern tip, a process which can take as little as five to 10 minutes.

That very morning, French police said they had foiled two attempts to enter the Channel, confiscating two boats, two motors, some fuel and some paddles.

However, the doomed dinghy made it into the Channel — a policing failure with explosive political ramifications.

Migrants are brought ashore at Dungeness by RNLI Lifeboat members after crossing the Channel. Reuters
Migrants are brought ashore at Dungeness by RNLI Lifeboat members after crossing the Channel. Reuters
The past three years have seen a significant rise in attempted Channel crossings by migrants, despite the dangers. AFP
The past three years have seen a significant rise in attempted Channel crossings by migrants, despite the dangers. AFP
Migrants on board a Border Force rescue boat line up to disembark at Dover harbour after crossing the Channel. Reuters
Migrants on board a Border Force rescue boat line up to disembark at Dover harbour after crossing the Channel. Reuters
A life jacket is left in the water after a group of more than 40 migrants got on an inflatable dinghy to leave the coast of northern France and cross the Channel. Reuters
A life jacket is left in the water after a group of more than 40 migrants got on an inflatable dinghy to leave the coast of northern France and cross the Channel. Reuters
Migrants are escorted by Border Force staff in Dungeness, after being brought ashore by an RNLI lifeboat. Reuters
Migrants are escorted by Border Force staff in Dungeness, after being brought ashore by an RNLI lifeboat. Reuters
A woman with a child is brought ashore safely. Reuters
A woman with a child is brought ashore safely. Reuters
Migrants walk along a British beach after being brought ashore by an RNLI lifeboat. Reuters
Migrants walk along a British beach after being brought ashore by an RNLI lifeboat. Reuters
At least 27 migrants bound for Britain died on Wednesday when their boat sank in the English Channel. AP
At least 27 migrants bound for Britain died on Wednesday when their boat sank in the English Channel. AP
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin speaks to the press in Calais, northern France, after the tragedy. AP
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin speaks to the press in Calais, northern France, after the tragedy. AP
France's interior minister has called it the biggest tragedy involving migrants on the dangerous crossing to date. AP
France's interior minister has called it the biggest tragedy involving migrants on the dangerous crossing to date. AP
A man wheels a gurney into a warehouse in Calais, where it is believed the bodies of migrants are being transported. PA
A man wheels a gurney into a warehouse in Calais, where it is believed the bodies of migrants are being transported. PA
French police look at a map of the coast at Wimereux, in northern France. The stretch of beach is believed to be used by migrants aiming to cross the Channel. PA
French police look at a map of the coast at Wimereux, in northern France. The stretch of beach is believed to be used by migrants aiming to cross the Channel. PA
A funeral van leaves the port of Calais. AFP
A funeral van leaves the port of Calais. AFP
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought to Dover by the RNLI. PA
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought to Dover by the RNLI. PA

While the summer is typically favoured by migrants, this year’s crossings have stretched deep into the colder months. Conditions on Wednesday were dry, and the wind was no stronger than usual.

But the flimsy vessel was at the mercy of the waves, the busy shipping traffic, and was overloaded with passengers.

It had made it only a short way into the 35-kilometre crossing to Dover when it lost air and began to take on water.

What caused it to deflate has yet to become clear. One report in French media suggested a container ship had struck the dinghy, but an English fishing captain said he saw no nearby boats on his radar.

By the time another fisherman raised the alarm at 1pm UK time, having spotted 15 people floating motionless in the water, it was already too late.

The distress call led to a search by three French boats and three helicopters.

French lifeboat worker Charles Devos described seeing a “flat, deflated inflatable boat with the little air that remained helping it float”, surrounded by the bodies of those who had drowned.

“At sea, it was dramatic. There were bodies floating, it was very, very, very shocking. So, we recovered all the people we saw on board,” he said.

Britain said it had sent a helicopter to join the search and rescue mission, which was called off after darkness fell.

French police patrol the dunes in Wimereux, near Calais, at France's northern tip. Reuters
French police patrol the dunes in Wimereux, near Calais, at France's northern tip. Reuters

The bodies pulled from the water were returned to the French coast, where post-mortems got under way late on Wednesday.

The head of a French aid group, Maya Konforti, said it would be a complicated task for humanitarian workers to identify victims, contact families and repatriate bodies.

“When it’s one or two people, it’s manageable,” but with 27 people, “we don’t know how we’re going to do it. It will be very, very complicated and it will also be very, very expensive,” she told French television.

The two survivors, who an Iraqi and a Somalian, were being treated for hypothermia, but it was unknown when, or what, they could tell investigators.

By this time, the suspected traffickers behind the fateful journey were already being hunted down, with France pointing the finger at smugglers who bring people to the coast via Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

Five people were arrested, including one with a car registration in Germany, where he was thought to have bought inflatable boats.

But with political leaders going into battle to bring down the smuggling networks, the short, fateful journey’s ramifications are only just beginning.

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The Details

Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5 

Sun jukebox

Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)

This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.

Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)

The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.

Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)

Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.

Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)

Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.

Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)

An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.

Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)

Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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if you go

Getting there

Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.

Staying there

On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.

More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr

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'Panga'

Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari

Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta

Rating: 3.5/5

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

Afghanistan fixtures
  • v Australia, today
  • v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
  • v New Zealand, Saturday,
  • v South Africa, June 15
  • v England, June 18
  • v India, June 22
  • v Bangladesh, June 24
  • v Pakistan, June 29
  • v West Indies, July 4
Results

2.30pm: Dubai Creek Tower – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Marmara Xm, Gary Sanchez (jockey), Abdelkhir Adam (trainer)

3pm: Al Yasmeen – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: AS Hajez, Jesus Rosales, Khalifa Al Neyadi

3.30pm: Al Ferdous – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Soukainah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout

4pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah – Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: AF Thayer, Ray Dawson, Ernst Oertel

4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup – Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: George Villiers, Antonio Fresu, Bhupat Seemar

5pm: Palma Spring – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Es Abu Mousa, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud

The specs

Common to all models unless otherwise stated

Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi

0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)

Power: 276hp

Torque: 392Nm

Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD

Price: TBC

The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

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Destroyer

Director: Karyn Kusama

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan

Rating: 3/5 

UAE release: January 31 

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, last-16, second leg (first-leg scores in brackets):

PSG (2) v Manchester United (0)

Midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports

Manchester City 4
Otamendi (52) Sterling (59) Stones (67) Brahim Diaz (81)

Real Madrid 1
Oscar (90)

Frida%20
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Updated: November 25, 2021, 3:27 PM`
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