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Girl, 7, drowns in northern France as migrants attempt to cross Channel to UK

Girl, 7, drowns in northern France as migrants attempt to cross Channel to UK

A seven-year-old girl has drowned after a migrant boat capsized in northern France.

The child was among 16 on board the boat when it capsized in a canal in Watten, around 20 miles away from Calais.

The canal leads to the North Sea near Dunkirk and is a route regularly used by migrants attempting to cross the Channel to the UK.

The boat used in the incident was not big enough to support the 16 on board and capsized shortly after they boarded it, local officials say.