Many of the survivors had been in the sea, screaming for help. Others had been trying to bail out their sinking boat using their shoes. Translation they were in trouble. Some were suffering from seasickness and the boats are quite simply overloaded. They overload the boats and so the boats can no longer move forwards. The last boat was too full. These pictures taken earlier in the week showed just how many people can be crammed into flimsy boats in the worlds busiest shipping lane. The french Authorities Say they will only intervene at sea if a boat gets into difficulty. The mp for dover is calling for a new approach. This is an absolute tragedy today in the channel, and my thoughts and prayers are with all those affected. What we now really need to see is the french stopping these unseaworthy and overcrowded vessels getting into the channel in the first place, and a joint channel security zone. Charities supporting refugees say they have heard calls for change before. Its tragic, isnt
the billionairejeff bezos has pledged $100 million to help with the relief effort. this island, once a picture of paradise, is in pain. questions are being asked about the preparedness of the authorities and whether adequate plans had been in place to meet the ever increasing threat of fire. this can happen again, and so we need to have as many takeaways and lessons learned from this, because it absolutely must not, must not happen again. this was absolutely tragic. now they are focused on the immediate task at hand. there is talk of hope and strength and rising from the ruins, but it will cost billions to rebuild and it s hard for some to even think about that with so many unaccounted for and unrecovered. sophie long, bbc news, maui. 0ur presenter helena humphrey is in maui in one of