Rescue teams respond to incident involving small boat in English Channel

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Search and rescue teams are responding to an incident involving a small boat in the English Channel off the southeast coast of England. 

Unconfirmed reports say it is a migrant boat and that a number of people are feared dead. 

“South East Coast Ambulance Service was called by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency following reports of an incident in the channel at about 3:40 am on Wednesday, 14 December,” a spokesman said in a statement shared with Euronews.

“We have sent resources to Dover in support of the rescue efforts being undertaken by the Coastguard. As this is an ongoing incident, we have no further updates at this time.”

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said in a tweet on Wednesday she was “aware of a distressing incident in the Channel” but that she is waiting for the first responders to clarify the circumstances around it.

“I am being kept constantly updated while agencies respond and urgently establish the full facts,” Braverman said. “My heartfelt thoughts are with all those involved.”

The incident is taking place in freezing conditions off the coast of Kent, where many small boats arrive carrying migrants from France.

Thousands of migrants have been using small boats in hopes of crossing the Channel to claim asylum in the UK, putting the government under pressure to curb the flow.

A record 44,000 people have attempted the dangerous journey across the busy waterway on small boats and made it to the UK this year.