At least 36 tourists including 13 children have died in the Kerala boat disaster and authorities fear that the number could go up as some of the 76 passengers are still missing.

It appears that basic safety norms were flouted in the boat cruise as none of the passengers was wearing a life jacket.

Initial reports suggest that the boat capsized as the tourists were trying to catch a glimpse of elephants in the Periyar Wildlife Santuary surrounding the lake and moved to one side of the boat.

There was no professional guide on the boat, a safety requirement for tourist boat rides. Had there been a guide, the tourists could have been warned against doing that.

The disaster has once again brought attention to the issue of implementing safety standards for tourism services and boat cruises.