Idris remembers praying and asking God to forgive him for his sins. But it was the thought of his family that forced him to keep swimming as the boat he and other migrants were on began to sink in the Channel crossing from France to England.

"I kept swimming for the sake of my parents and my brothers and sisters because I've left home and went through all this suffering for their sake," the 22-year-old Afghan told Reuters.

First, the motor broke down and then the boat started filling with water. Passengers took turns clinging to or sitting on parts of the boat that remained afloat. Others trod water until it was their turn to hang on to the boat and rest.

Idris is among the 60 survivors who were rescued by British and French first responders when their vessel capsized in the notoriously dangerous waters of the English Channel last Saturday (12 August).

Idris recalled his horrifying ordeal where passengers fell into the water and were swallowed by the sea.

"When (the boat sank), people were screaming, it was a very difficult moment. Six people died right away," he said.

"I never believed I would survive. I thought I was dying and was ready to die."

Boat torn apart at sea

The small boat was loaded with about 66 people as it headed for the southeast coast of England.

The Paris prosecutor's office disclosed that the vessel was "torn apart at sea" and that an engine breakdown had caused the vessel to capsize. The rough waters of the English Channel lashed at the passengers, most of whom did not have life jackets.

Rescuers were deployed to the scene along with a helicopter and maritime surveillance.

According to the French authorities, most of the passengers on board were from Afghanistan, some Sudanese, and a few minors.

One of these was 15-year-old Fahwad. Speaking to Reuters, he said that he swam as long as he could when the boat sank before he eventually lost consciousness.

"When the boat split up, it was quite dark and we couldn't see anything. We were very scared but thank God he saved us," said Fahwad.

Fahwad fled Afghanistan and has been in France for the last two months, making his home on the streets. He does not know what he will do now, but the teenager said that he is still traumatized by what he had just lived through.

According to Eurostat, Afghan children make up the majority of the unaccompanied children arriving in Europe, since the beginning of 2023.

Dangerous crossing

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak blamed the tragedy on criminal gangs and justified the government's move to shut down the Channel crossing through his controversial, "Stop the Boats" Bill.

"It's a stark reminder of how dangerous these crossings are and how vitally important it is to disrupt these criminal gangs, and it is right the government acts urgently and takes all possible steps to close down this route," Sunak's spokesperson told reporters on Monday (14 August).

However, the latest tragedy did not deter more people from trying to enter Britain by crossing the English Channel.

Warmer weather conditions and a relatively calmer sea have seen more crossings into the UK. More than 2,000 migrants mostly from Iran, Syria, and Afghanistan have reached Britain in the month of August alone.