Iranian man indicted for manslaughter following Channel boat tragedy – reports

An Iranian man has been indicted for manslaughter following the sinking of a migrant boat that claimed the lives of at least four people, according to French reports.

The 37-year-old man has been remanded in custody, reports France 3, quoting the public prosecutor of Dunkirk, Sebastien Pive.

Four people, parents and two young children, are known to have died while a baby and two adults are believed to be missing.

The indictment comes three days after the overcrowded boat sank off the coast of Dunkirk.

It had set off for the UK carrying as many as 28 people, despite being only designed to carry six or seven, the PA news agency understands.

The Iranian man, who has been remanded in custody, is reported to have been indicted for manslaughter.

Investigations are continuing.

Those known to have died in the tragedy are: Rasoul Iran-Nejad and his wife Shiva Mohammad Panahi, both 35, along with their children Anita, nine, and Armin, six.

Their baby son Artin, just 15 months old, was also on board and has not been found.

None on board had been issued with life jackets, it is believed.

On Thursday Mr Iran-Nejad’s cousin paid tribute to them and said their family was “devastated”.

He also called on the French Government to help with the costs of repatriating their bodies, believed to be more than £90,000.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said the deaths were “an ultimate tragedy” and one that “could have been avoided”.