French authorities rescue 78 migrants attempting Channel crossing in small boat

The French coastguard has rescued 78 people after the engine of their small boat broke down as they attempted to cross the Channel from Belgium.The French maritime prefecture said it dispatched a number of vessels on Friday after receiving reports of multiple boats carrying migrants setting off.A translated statement from the French authority on Saturday morning said: “Following an engine failure of the migrant boat, the (coastguard vessel) rescued 78 people, then disembarked them at the quay in Calais for care by the rescue services on land.”