According to the police, the boat is said to have capsized shortly after leaving the French coast. The French Le Figaro reports that the migrants attempted to cross the channel during the night between Saturday and Sunday.
"Despite emergency care, eight people have died," says the French maritime authority in a statement.
Six people were taken to hospital, including a 10-month-old baby who was severely hypothermic. The migrants are said to be from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran.
According to French authorities, several attempts to cross the English Channel have been made in recent days. Between Friday and Saturday, 200 people are said to have been rescued.
Less than two weeks ago, 12 people died in the same area after a boat with 70 migrants capsized on its way to the UK.
Over 22,000 migrants have made it to the UK this year by crossing the channel, according to British authorities. Before last night's accident, 37 people had died in the channel since January, writes Le Figaro.
