(Fox News) – Britain and France have escalated their war of words after more than two dozen children drowned in a search and rescue operation in the Channel.
A wide range of measures were said to be under consideration after the tragedy, including a second rescue ship and compensation for families of those who died.
That ended a Cabinet meeting held in the aftermath of the massive search and rescue operation.
“The main issue at the moment is that is a disaster waiting to happen,” Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, a member of Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party, told Sky News.
“The scale of the distress at this time with families losing loved ones is most distressing for all of us.”
In a moment of rare rare unity at cabinet, May and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed it was a tragedy of unprecedented scale, Fox News reported.
Both confirmed that the tragedy was the largest search and rescue operation conducted by the French Maritime Prefecture in the waters of the English Channel. The British Cabinet also agreed to recall Parliament so that lawmakers can vote on emergency legislation.
The source added that without some type of emergency reform to revive the economy to encourage UK companies to move offshore, more tragedies could be on the way.
“It is clear that these disasters are being replicated in the Channel for years to come as companies wait for the vote on the UK-EU treaty to pass so they can move manufacturing and jobs to the Eurozone,” said the source.
The possibility of a second rescue ship to be sent to France has also been raised, including the establishment of an assistance fund for the families of those who died, some of whom are now suing the British Coastguard to reopen the scene of the tragedy.
The sources at Downing Street confirmed that there is an idea of sending Britain’s eighth rescue ship, the Triton, which has undergone a refit, to help. The Triton was just one of two rescue vessels involved in the rescue of the people lost in the tragedy.
Meanwhile, the families of a dozen children have sought damages from the Coastguard over the situation, Fox News reported.
The parent of two of the dead children said he plans to sue the rescue service to look for the truth about what happened on Sunday. The parents of five other young children were all at the school and clearly traumatized, the parents told Reuters.
When asked whether the victims will die a second time, PM May said, “I hope not,” because this time their “enemies” are the “unknown.”
Also in Downing Street Friday was Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council. He said Britain and France must focus on finding solutions to the “crisis of government” now facing Britain after the results of the EU-UK divorce deal were rejected by the British Parliament.