Four people have died in the Channel after a dinghy carrying asylum seekers capsized into ice-cold water overnight.

Dozens more people have been rescued and brought to shore following a joint search and rescue mission, led by the Coastguard.

The huge search continues and involves four helicopters, a plane, three military boats, three fishing boats, four lifeboat crews and four coastguard rescue teams.

The tragedy echoes a similar event 13 months ago, when 32 lives were lost after a boat trying to reach the UK sunk.

Charities have called the deaths "wholly unnecessary and preventable" and are calling for safe passage for asylum seekers.

A UK government spokesman said: “At 3.05am today, authorities were alerted to an incident in the Channel concerning a migrant small boat in distress.

"After a coordinated search and rescue operation led by HM Coastguard, it is with regret that there have been four confirmed deaths as a result of this incident, investigations are ongoing and we will provide further information in due course.

“This is a truly tragic incident. Our thoughts are with the friends and families of all those who have lost their lives today."

It is understood some 47 people entered the water off the Kent coast, near Dungeness, in the early hours.

Radar apps showed two helicopters - one belonging to the Coastguard - circling the area, with two vessels in the freezing water below.

One was a lifeboat and another the Navy's HMS Severn patrol boat.

An air ambulance helicopter landed at Dover just before 8.30am, and road ambulances lined the harbourside.

A section of the marina has also been taped off by police.

A private ambulance was seen leaving the harbour this morning, after a body bag was winched from a lifeboat onto the side of the marina.

Police have also been spotted outside the William Harvey hospital in Ashford, which was put on standby this morning, but only received two casualties.

A spokesperson said: "East Kent Hospitals was placed on standby in the early hours of this morning following an incident off the Kent coast, working with SeaCAMB, Navy, Border Force, Kent Police and other partners. We were stood down at around 9am.

"We have received two casualties at William Harvey Hospital.

"Our thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their lives."

Dover MP Natalie Elphicke said she was “very saddened" by the tragic loss of life.

She added: “My thoughts and prayers with all those involved.”

South East Coast Ambulance Service has confirmed it was called by the Coastguard at about 3.40am.

A spokesperson said this morning: "We have sent resources to Dover in support of the rescue efforts being undertaken by the Coastguard.

"As this is an ongoing incident, we have no further updates at this time."

A police spokesman added at the same time: "Kent Police is assisting HM Coastguard as part of a search and rescue response following an incident involving a small boat in the Channel off the Kent coast reported at 3.39am on Wednesday, December 14.

"Officers are in attendance in Dover to carry out enquiries and support this ongoing incident."

Speaking in the House of Commons today, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the tragedy was a "sobering reminder that we have to end illegal crossings".

She added: "This is the day to express our sympathy with the families of the victims and thank the rescue services."

She also said that the UK would create "more safe and legal routes" and work with the UNHCR (The UN refugee agency) to identify those most in need.

But she added: "It isn't true that our capacity is limitless. We are already spending millions on hotels every day. People don't need to seek asylum if they are in a safe country."

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the Commons: "This is truly tragic and deeply disturbing news. All our prayers are with the victims and their families.

"All of us give our thanks to the brave responders. It is because of their bravery that more lives were not lost."

Ms Cooper said that after last year's mass deaths of 32 asylum seekers at sea "it was a matter of time before more lives were lost".

She said: "The responsibility for this lies with the criminal gangs. They have created a multi-million pound industry.

"We were gathered in this house just a year ago when lives were lost and none of us want to be here again."

The unfolding emergency comes a day after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a five-point plan to stop perilous crossings of the world's busiest shipping lane.

But they were slammed as "appalling and grotesque" by charities, who claim having no safe routes to claim asylum is the main reason for the continued crossings.

It is little over a year since 32 people died when their boat sank in the Channel.

This year almost 45,000 have made the journey - more than in any other on record.

North Thanet MP Roger Gale said: "This is yet another absolute tragedy.

"These are human beings and include women and very small children so the potential for loss of life is colossal.

"There are likely a number of deaths and I'm afraid the chances of survival in the waters as they are is minimal."

He added: "The government's track record on this has been quite frightful and said while Rishi Sunak has made steps in the right direction this is a global problem and until we work together the problem won't be solved."

A statement from the RNLI said: "Volunteer crews from several RNLI stations on the south east coast are involved in an on-going search and rescue response in the Channel being co-ordinated by HM Coastguard.

"Due to this being an on-going incident we have no further information at present."

Clare Moseley, from charity Care4Calais, said there are "no words to express our horror and grief at today’s tragedy".

She added: "A full year on from 32 people losing their lives in the Channel, our Government has done nothing to prevent further deaths and so has failed both the refugees who need our help and our country.

“Three weeks ago we stood in solidarity with the relatives of those 32 souls and felt their undiminished grief. It is unbearable to think that more families will now suffer the same pain.

“Both then and now, these deaths are wholly unnecessary and preventable.

"The people we work with in Calais have not only suffered the very worst horrors in this world - conflicts, human rights abuses and torture - they have been brave and resilient enough to escape and survive incredible journeys to come here and ask for our help. And yet we deny them.

“Recently released government statistics show asylum acceptance rates of 82-98% for the people we work with. It is beyond doubt that they are ‘genuine’ refugees and their method of travel is entirely irrelevant to this.

“We know it’s possible to give people safe passage – we do it for Ukrainian refugees.

"If other refugees were given safe passage across the Channel, people smugglers would be put out of business and refugees would be safe.

"There is no reason why any refugee should die trying to claim asylum in the UK and it is utterly shameful that our government refuses to act to make refugees safe now.”

Cllr Trevor Bartlett, leader of Dover District Council, said: “We’re deeply saddened by today’s tragic events in the Channel and our hearts go out to the victims and their families.

“Our thoughts are also with all those from the local community, from the volunteer RNLI lifeboat crews who respond selflessly to those in distress at sea, to the emergency services, and the many local volunteers and organisations who exemplify this community’s compassion and support to anyone arriving on our shores.”

Damian Collins, MP for Folkestone and Hythe, added: "These deaths were avoidable, and this journey need not, and should not have been made.

"The ruthless people trafficking gangs who profit from tragedy once again have blood on their hands.

"We must continue to use intelligence-based policing, working with the authorities in France, to track down these gangs and put them out of business.

"Also, surveillance of the French coast is aiding the local police in preventing migrant small boats from entering the water in the first place. This year 31,000 attempted migrant crossings have been stopped."

Rosie Duffield, Labour MP for Canterbury, said: "It’s yet another tragedy that could have been preventable if the government had got their act together.

"They have been in power for 12 years and we have been hearing various stories about cutting down on those that offer these really hideous and dangerous routes across the Channel, and nothing has been done.

"We have had a handful of prosecutions and there have been documentaries that show those people just sitting openly, offering trips across the ocean.

"We’re talking about manslaughter because they know how dangerous these routes are and really vulnerable people are getting into those boats with all of their hopes and dreams just a few miles away.

"What happened this morning is an example of how horribly wrong it can go.

"It sounds great that the Prime Minister is on top of things, and they keep promising that they’re going to deploy more people to help, to make other routes safe, but we’ve heard it all before, we just need to see action now.

"Just a few short hours later there were people drowning in icy waters."