According to reports, the small boat with a total of 96 people on board had suffered engine failure soon after departing from Le Touquet on the northern French coast.

Officials rescued the migrants and took them to safety in the port city of Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Rescuers said however that about 30 people remained stuck at sea after the dinghy had departed, with waves and currents threatening their survival. Rescue teams also had to attend to this scene at the same time.

Four of those individuals reportedly had to be pulled from the water with the aid of a helicopter, while six others were pulled onto a lifeboat, according to the dpa news agency.

Several people were treated for minor injuries and hypothermia, but no serious casualties were reported, according to a press release from the French Maritime Prefecture for the Channel and North Sea (Préfecture maritime de la Manche et de la mer du Nord).

A large group of migrants later continued their journey and eventually departed toward the UK, the statement said.

The prefecture used the incident to warn about the extreme dangers of Channel crossings, especially given unpredictable weather and sea conditions.

Read AlsoUK immigration falls sharply, but the perception that it is increasing is still widespread

PM Burnham promises new approach to fight smugglers

Irregular Channel journeys continue as smugglers typically tend to operate more boats in the warmer weather conditions of the summer months.

Just days earlier, another group of around 140 migrants was intercepted by French coast guard officials amid a recent uptick in crossing attempts.

As authorities on either side of the strait have significantly beefed up patrols, smuggling gangs have adjusted their tactics in recent months, packing more and more people on unseaworthy vessels for the dangerous crossing in what has been coined "mega-dinghies."

Earlier in August, 230 people made the journey in a single boat, establishing a new record.

Read AlsoAre Channel dinghies getting bigger?

New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to dismantle the business model of the criminal syndicates behind the irregular crossings, announcing the government would "change tactics" to that effect.

However, in recent years, several British leaders have come and gone, making similar promises, with the public perceiving little change, despite overall departures being significantly lower than they were two years ago.

Read AlsoUK: Prime Minister Burnham promises to be 'relentless' on migrant Channel crossings

with dpa