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Man dies after being hit by train near Channel tunnel entrance Man dies after being hit by train near Channel tunnel entrance
(about 1 hour later)
A young man believed to be from Africa has been hit by a freight train and killed near the Channel tunnel entrance in France, an official has said. A young man believed to be from Africa has been hit by a freight train and killed near the Channel tunnel entrance in Calais, French officials have confirmed.
The incident took place at about 2am local time, the official said, adding that the victim was thought to be from Eritrea or Sudan. At least 10 people have died in or near the tunnel since late June.
Related: 'Fences won't put anyone off': migrants dismiss new Calais security crackdownRelated: 'Fences won't put anyone off': migrants dismiss new Calais security crackdown
About 3,000 people, mostly from Afghanistan, Syria and African countries, are living in camps in Calais near the Channel tunnel entrance. They have made repeated attempts to reach the UK, often by trying to enter the tunnel or climb on to lorries. The incident took place at around 2am on Thursday, local authorities said, adding that the victim was thought to be from Eritrea or Sudan. He is thought to have been possibly aged under 18.
In July, Eurotunnel said 2,000 attempts were being made a night to get into the tunnel, but new fences erected around the tracks, as well as a increased police presence, have greatly reduced this number. At least 11 refugees or migrants have died in or near the tunnel in Calais since late June, as people attempt to reach the UK by stowing away on lorries bound for ferries or accessing the tunnel entrance.
A spokesman for Eurotunnel in France confirmed that staff had found the man unconscious near the railway tracks. “The police and paramedics were called and they came immediately,” he said.
About 3,000 people, mostly from Afghanistan, Syria and east African countries, are sleeping rough in squalid and insanitary conditions in a state-sanctioned shanty town in Calais, known as the “New Jungle”. There is limited access to water and sanitation and heath problems such as diarrhea and scabies are rife, with doctors and aid-workers warning of a “humanitarian” crisis.
Local charities in Calais voiced outrage this week after riot police with a court order evicted other sites in the town where around 200 Syrians, including children, had been sleeping.
The Syrians were told to walk for over an hour across Calais where they would have no choice but to sleep rough in the fetid “New Jungle” shanty camp. Police used tear-gas on those Syrian refugees who refused to walk there.