See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy RORY TINGLE, HOME AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT and PETER ALLEN Published: 10:46 BST, 4 August 2026 | Updated: 11:19 BST, 4 August 2026
A mega-dinghy carrying nearly 160 migrants caught fire in the Channel today, forcing everyone onboard to jump into the sea. Search operations began at around 6am after the inflatable went up in flames after setting off from a beach near Boulogne-sur-mer.The RNLI's Eastbourne lifeboat deployed alongside UK coastguard vessels, although the rescue operation is being led by the French. It is thought that a fuel leak from the outboard motor caused the blaze, causing mass panic on board.At least 157 migrants have been rescued so far and are being disembarked at Boulogne-sur-Mer. There are no reported casualties. A spokesman for France’s Maritime Prefecture said: ‘A small boat caught fire at the border between French and British waters, leading its occupants to jump into the water.’The migrants were being 'attended to' by charity workers and the French fire and rescue service. More than 2,000 migrants have arrived on UK shores in small boat crossings since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister just over a fortnight ago. A total of 165 migrants crossed the Channel to the UK in a single mega-dinghy on July 23 - the highest on record
