Two men charged in Channel deaths investigation

Two men have been charged with immigration offences after an investigation into the deaths of five migrants, including a child, in the English Channel.

Three men, a woman and a seven-year-old girl died in a crush on board a boat carrying 112 people on Tuesday.

Both of the charged men have been remanded in custody and will appear at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court later.

A third man, 18, from Sudan, has been bailed pending further inquiries.

Yien Both, 22, from South Sudan, has been charged with assisting unlawful immigration and attempting to arrive in the UK without valid entry clearance, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said in a statement on Friday.

Tajdeen Adbulaziz Juma, 22, from Sudan, has been charged with attempting to arrive in the UK without valid entry clearance.

The vessel got into trouble early on Tuesday morning after leaving Wimereux in northern France, and police witnessed people entering the water from the overcrowded boat.

It was one of several small boats which left France at about 03:00 local time.

Some 49 people were rescued but 58 others opted to remain in the boat and continue towards the UK, the coastguard said in a statement.