Thekkady (Kerala), September 30
In the worst tourism tragedy in Kerala, 31 persons died after a state-run double-deck boat carrying 74 tourists suddenly capsized today in the famous Thekkady Lake in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki district.

Three persons were still feared missing after the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) boat, pressed into service only a month ago, sank after cruising five km from the boarding point in Thekkady, from where it had set out around 4 pm, a district administration official said.

Forty persons were either rescued or swam to safety, the official said. Thekkady is about 150 km from Kochi.

According to eyewitnesses, the tragedy occurred when the ill-fated boat - ‘Jalakanyaka’ - tilted after several tourists moved to one side on sighting elephants in the Wildlife Sanctuary on the banks of the lake. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals in Periyar.

Officials said tonight bodies of 31 persons were recovered. The victims included 14 women and six children, they said.