10-month-old baby in critical condition after Channel migrant boat disaster that killed 8

A 10-month-old baby has been left in critical condition after attempting to cross the English Channel from France.

The baby was among a number of people who attempted to cross the Channel this weekend, French maritime officials have said, with the failed passage from France to the UK leaving eight people dead. The boat, which was carrying dozens of people, was spotted just before midnight on Saturday in obvious distress near a beach in the northern town of Ambleteuse.

French authorities quickly deployed a rescue ship to the area, but were unable to offer at-sea assistance, with the vessel only able to provide aid to approximately 53 migrants once it reached the beach. In a statement, maritime services said six people, among them the 10-month-old child, were taken to hospital in "relative emergency", with the baby reportedly suffering from hypothermia.

Survivors of the accident, the authorities added, came from Eritrea, in Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran. Only men were among those who died. Government officials have quickly expressed their sadness over the incident, with Foreign Secretary David Lammy saying it was Wawful" and adding un an interview with the BBC: "It's a further loss of life."

The capsizing is the second deadly incident in a month, with a boat carrying migrants ripped apart while attempting to cross the Channel just under two weeks ago. The group of people had been attempting to reach Britain from northern France, with 12 people dying after they were plunged into the waterway.

An emergency worker attending the scene of the latest incident said they observed a second boat depart the coast at Ambleteuse not long after authorities had taken the bodies of those who didn't survive the previous attempt were taken ashore. They said: "Bodies were being taken up on to a ramp at Ambleteuse, yet, by 7am, a second boat departure took place there too. Boats have been setting off in the area throughout the weekend – there have been non-stop rescues."

The Regional Operational Centre for Surveillance and Rescue at Cap Gris-Nez, a commune in the Pas-de-Calais area, reported "at least 18 attempts" by migrant groups to reach UK shores on Saturday.