NEW DELHI: Up to 22 people were feared dead after a boat capsized Sunday on a lake in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, reports said.

The Press Trust of India said 25 people were on board the boat which was taking a scenic tour of the lake about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the state capital Chennai when it turned over.

Local television quoted police officials as saying 12 bodies had been recovered and 10 people were still missing.

Only three survivors were rescued.

The precise cause of the accident was not immediately clear, but such incidents are common in India where small, badly maintained ferries are often dangerously overcrowded. AGENCIES