A man and a woman drowned have drowned in the Channel after a small boat carrying around 60 undocumented migrants sank just after leaving the French coast, authorities said.

The latest deaths came almost two years to the day after 27 people died in one of the worst Channel migrant disasters.

Boulogne-sur-Mer prosecutor Guirec Le Bras said the boat was among several to leave a beach near the French port on Wednesday morning, despite the presence of paramilitary gendarmes.

The two dead were both aged about 30 but it was not known where they came from.

A third person was picked out of the sea and flown to hospital while the others on the boat were brought back to land, some suffering from hypothermia, rescuers said.

Le Bras said a manslaughter investigation had been started.

Coastguard helicopter and RNLI assisting in response

A HM Coastguard spokesperson said: “HM Coastguard is currently working with the French Coastguard who are coordinating the response to an incident involving a small boat in the French search and rescue region, working with Border Force and other partners.

“The Coastguard helicopter and the RNLI are assisting in the response.

“HM Coastguard will continue to work with partners to respond to those in distress around the seas and coastal areas of the UK.”

Olivier Ternisien, head of the Osmose 62 group that helps would-be migrants in the Boulogne region, said people trying to get to Britain were taking bigger risks with the deteriorating weather.

Ternisien and other groups also said the increased presence of security forces encouraged the migrants to take on ever more dangerous hazards.

The last Channel deaths were on August 12 when six Afghans drowned after their small boat capsized. That was the worst accident since November 24, 2021 when at least 27 people perished in an overloaded boat.

French authorities say that boats are increasingly overloaded, with the average number of about 53 nearly double the average of two years ago.

According to British authorities, more than 27,200 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year, against a record 45,000 in 2022.