Efforts to pull out a boat that sank into a reservoir at Thattekadu Bird Sanctuary claiming the lives of 15 school children and three teachers, will begin on Wednesday, Kerala Director General of Police Ramon Srivastava said.

"We will inquire into the cause of the sinking of the boat, for which the boat has to be first pulled out," Srivastava, who will probe the cause of the mishap, said.

Only then it will be known if there was any negligence and whether the boat had some problems, he said.

The boat carrying children and staff of a school at nearby Angamali capsized in the reservoir at Thattekadu bird sanctuary in Ernakulam district on Tuesday evening.

The capsized boat was being driven by the owner.

The DGP held a meeting at 3 AM this morning at Dharmagiri St Joseph's hospital at Kothamangalam, where the bodies have been kept.

He said on the request of some parents, the government on Wednesday decided not to conduct post mortems on the bodies.

Kuruvilla said government will give relief to the kin of the deceased. The quantum will be decided at a cabinet meeting, he said.