Several people, including a child, died trying to cross the Channel from France to England, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on Saturday, Paralel.Az reports citing Reuters.

Attempts to cross the Channel in small, overloaded boats are frequent despite strong currents in what is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

"Smugglers have the blood of these people on their hands and our government will step up the fight against these mafias that organise these deadly crossings," Retailleau said on social media platform X.