In the worst tourism tragedy in Kerala, 31 persons died after a state-run double-deck boat carrying 74 tourists suddenly capsized on Wednesday in the famous Thekkady Lake in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki district. A district administration official said in Thekkady, that three persons were still feared missing after the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation(KTDC) boat pressed into service just one month back sank after cruising five km from the boarding point in Thekkady from where it had set out around 4 PM. Forty persons were either rescued or swam to safety, the official said. 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. The tourists were mainly from outside Kerala mainly coming from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Some victims hailed from Delhi, Punjab and Kolkata. Unconfirmed reports said a male foreigner whose nationality was not immediately known was among the victims.Rescue efforts were hampered as darkness fell and also dueto the cold waters. The boat was half submerged in the mishap.