Two men died during an illegal attempt to cross the English Channel on the night of Sunday, October 4, to Monday, October 5, 2026, near Berck in the Pas-de-Calais region, according to the local prefecture. The victims were in their thirties and forties. Two women, suffering from severe burns covering much of their bodies, were hospitalized in emergency care. The burns were reportedly caused by a chemical reaction when gasoline mixed with seawater, as reported by the regional newspaper La Voix du Nord. An investigation has been launched by the prosecutor's office in Boulogne-sur-Mer to determine the exact circumstances of the deaths. This incident adds to the growing number of migrant deaths in the English Channel, bringing the total to at least 24 since the start of the year, according to a count by AFP based on official sources. A week earlier, another failed crossing resulted in three deaths, including a child, after an overcrowded boat capsized off the coast of Pas-de-Calais. The Pas-de-Calais prefecture confirmed that the two men were found by rescue services in cardiac and respiratory arrest on a makeshift boat that had approximately 90 passengers. The vessel was described as overcrowded and unsuitable for open sea travel, while the two women with burns were taken to the hospital for urgent treatment. The two men had departed from Berck-sur-Mer and died while attempting to reach England on Sunday evening. The migrant aid organization Utopia 56 stated that the men had no choice but to "risk their lives to seek asylum," and criticized the deaths as a result of "the governments and their political choices." For several weeks, asylum seekers have been trying to cross the Channel before winter, taking advantage of the last favorable weather conditions. However, these crossings remain extremely dangerous, often involving inflatable boats that are not designed for open sea travel and overcrowded conditions. According to the UK Ministry of the Interior, 673 people reached England aboard makeshift boats from the French coast between Friday and Sunday. On Sunday morning, 11 people were rescued by maritime services and a helicopter after a boat with about 80 passengers ran aground on the beach of Camiers in Pas-de-Calais. On the same day, a boat carrying 149 migrants arrived in Gosport, Hampshire, marking the second recent significant arrival in an area much further west than the usual crossing route in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais, according to the Home Office. Shortly after, an anti-migrant demonstration took place in Gosport, leading to the arrest of 12 people for public order disturbances, as reported by British police.