Syrian jailed in France over deadly migrant crossing

LILLE, France: A Syrian national was charged and jailed on Sunday as part of an inquiry into a shipwreck in the English Channel last week that claimed the life of a migrant, prosecutors said.

The man from Syrian Kurdistan, born in 1993, was charged with manslaughter, unintentional injury, deliberate endangerment and aiding illegal entry and residence, said Saint-Omer public prosecutor Mehdi Benbouzid.

He is suspected of having piloted a boat carrying around 60 migrants, including children, a charge he denies. A second man suspected of also piloting the boat is still being sought.

The boat left Oye-Plage, east of Calais, on Thursday night and capsized off the nearby commune of Gravelines. One man died and two other passengers are missing, according to the regional maritime authority. In a separate incident, the body of another migrant was found on the beach at Sangatte on Friday after a failed Channel crossing attempt.