A total of 173 migrants were rescued after their overcrowded dinghy caught fire while crossing the English Channel en route to the United Kingdom on Monday night. The vessel, described by French maritime officials as a “mega-dinghy,” went up in flames around 6 a.m. Tuesday near the coast of Normandy after a suspected fuel leak caused the engine to ignite. Passengers aboard the boat—many wearing life jackets—jumped into the sea as the vessel began to burn and capsized. All were recovered by combined British and French rescue services and returned safely to France.

The boat had departed late Monday from Veules-les-Roses, Normandy, roughly 100 miles from usual migrant departure points such as Boulogne and Calais. Authorities described the incident as the largest small-boat rescue operation ever conducted in the Channel. This group of 173 migrants represents the highest number of people recorded on a single vessel attempting the Channel crossing, surpassing a similar incident from July 23 when 165 migrants traveled in one mega-dinghy.

French officials have noted a growing trend in the use of such oversized dinghies by people-smuggling networks. During recent periods of calm sea conditions and warm weather, smugglers have been deploying larger vessels to increase profits by carrying more passengers at once. Since Andy Burnham took office as UK Prime Minister, more than 2,000 migrants have successfully crossed the Channel.

The incident has drawn political criticism from UK opposition figures. Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp questioned the response of French authorities, accusing police of inaction in preventing migrant boats from setting off and warning that lives are being endangered by such crossings.

Rescue operations were coordinated promptly amid ongoing efforts to monitor and prevent illegal Channel crossings. The incident highlights the continued challenges faced by French and British authorities in managing migration across one of the world's busiest maritime corridors.