At least eight people died during a failed attempt to cross the English Channel from northern France, French maritime authorities said on Sunday.

The incident occurred on Saturday just before midnight local time, when authorities spotted a boat, carrying dozens, in distress near a beach in the northern town of Ambleteuse.

A French rescue ship was deployed to the area and rescue services offered medical assistance to 53 migrants on the beach, a statement from the French maritime authorities in charge of the Channel and the North Sea said.

“Despite the emergency care provided, eight people have died,” the statement said.

No people were discovered during the search at sea, it added.

Six people were taken to hospital “in relative emergency,” including a 10-month-old baby with hypothermia. Officials said the survivors came from Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran.

The incident occurred nearly two weeks after a boat carrying migrants ripped apart in the English Channel as they attempted to reach Britain from northern France, plunging dozens into the treacherous waterway and leaving 13 dead. (AP)