Shafaq News/ The Summit (Lutke) Foundation for Refugee and Displaced Affairs on Thursday said that 16 citizens from the Kurdistan Region perished when their boat capsized while attempting to cross the French  Canal into the UK territory.

The foundation released a roster in Kurdish that includes the names of 16 citizens from the Kurdistan Region who died in the tragic incident.

"The list includes 19 names so far, 17 bodies have found so far, one of whom is an Iranian national whose body has been repatriated to his country," according to the foundation. 

At least 27 refugees and asylum seekers have died trying to cross the English Channel after their dinghy deflated and sank in the worst disaster on record involving migrants in the sea separating France and the United Kingdom.

France had earlier said 31 people lost their lives, but the number was later revised down to 27, government officials said.

More people had left France’s northern shores than usual on Wednesday to take advantage of the relatively calm sea conditions, although the water was bitterly cold, according to the Reuters news agency, which cited local fishers.

Sixteen of the victims were Kurds, four were Afghan men. Three Ethiopians, a Somalian woman, as well as an Iranian and an Egyptian man made up the others.