At least five migrants have died while trying to cross the Channel in an inflatable dinghy on Wednesday.
The French news channel BFM TV first reported the news, citing French police sources. A coastguard official said a rescue operation was still underway.
Three rescue vessels and one helicopter appeared to be attending the scene, according to information available on the MarineTraffic app.
“A search and rescue operation is under way off the coast of Calais…We think several people have died as their vessel sank,” a police source told Reuters on Wednesday afternoon.
The source did not give the exact number of people who had died, adding that doctors would have to confirm the death toll first.
These fatalities follow a string of other migrant deaths in the Channel in recent weeks.
One man died making the dangerous crossing on 3 November, while another was found dead the following day on a beach near Calais, after French officials found a boat filled with water.
More to follow