Archbishop praying after 'terrible' Channel tragedy

Migrants being pulled from a sinking dinghy in the English Channel. (Photo: Sky News)

The Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken of his sadness over the loss of four migrants who died when their small boat capsized in the English Channel.

The dinghy got into difficulty in the freezing waters off the coast of Dungeness, 30 miles west of Dover, at around 03:00 GMT on Wednesday. 

The crew of a passing fishing trawler pulled 31 people from the boat, according to media reports.

Video footage showed migrants crammed together and water inside the vessel.

Some of the survivors are reported to be in critical condition in hospital. 

Archbishop Justin Welby said on Twitter: "I'm praying for the victims of today's terrible events in the Channel. It's another reminder that debates about asylum seekers are not about statistics, but precious human lives.

"May God comfort those who mourn, those who survived and all those who work to save lives at sea." 

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told MPs it was a "tragic loss of human life". 

News
Being people of peace
Being people of peace

It would be fair to say that the pace and complexity of life works against us finding any peace.

Christians and religious nones alike object to AI-generated social media videos
Christians and religious nones alike object to AI-generated social media videos

Evangelicals, nones and non-denominational Christians reject AI-generated videos, a new study has found.

What we don’t know about Christmas
What we don’t know about Christmas

Every Christmas people are bombarded with images of the Nativity in Christmas cards, the lyrics of songs and Nativity plays. Yet many of the images embedded in our minds are pure tradition. In fact, there is a lot that we do not know. This is the story … 

Richard Moth appointed as new Archbishop of Westminster
Richard Moth appointed as new Archbishop of Westminster

Bishop Richard Moth has been confirmed as the new Archbishop of Westminster, the most senior post in the Catholic Church in England and Wales.