The boat ran into difficulties off the coast of Kent
A number of deaths are feared after a small boat carrying migrants ran into difficulties in the English Channel.
A major rescue operation has been launched involving HM Coastguard, Navy, Border Force and police.
An air ambulance has been sent to the scene in Kent.
An Ashford hospital has been ‘told to clear the A&E’ as multiple casualties are expected, GB News claims.
No fatalities have been confirmed by authorities at this time.
Emergency calls reporting a migrant boat in distress were received by the UK coastguard shortly before 3am.
Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboats have been dispatched from Dover, Dungeness, Hastings and Ramsgate alongside coastguard rescue teams from Deal, Dungeness and Folkestone.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Defence said: ‘We are aware of an incident in UK waters and all relevant agencies are supporting a coordinated response.
‘Further details will be provided in due course.’
This is a breaking story – more follows.
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected]. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
A number of deaths are feared after a small boat carrying migrants ran into difficulties.
