Thiruvananthapuram: The torrential downpour and landslides have been wreaking havoc across Kerala in the past two days.

At least 15 were killed in a massive landslide at Rajamalai in Munnar of Idukki district on Friday. Sixteen persons were rescued from the spot. Four of them are critical. Search operation is on to locate people trapped under the debris.

The Meenachil River is overflowing at Pala town flooding the Kottaramattom area. The river breached its banks at various spots along the Pala-Erattupetta road prompting the authorities to ban traffic.

Meanwhile, seven others were killed in Kerala in the torrential downpour that lashed across the state in the past two days. The body of a missing person was recovered from Idukki's Elappara on Friday. The deceased, Nallathani Martin had gone missing in a flash flood along with his friend Anish. Their car was carried away by a torrent near the Nallathanni bridge in the Elappara-Vagamon route on Thursday.

Palakkad native Moideen, 70, died after his house collapsed in the heavy rains in Ongallur-Pokkupadi area.

The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said besides the casualties, six people were injured, 12 houses were fully destroyed and 735 houses were partially damaged.

"Two deaths were reported from Wayanad district. One person there was drowned and another was killed due to tree fall.

Two persons died due to tree fall in Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad while one was drowned in Kasaragod district.

Red Alert in 4 districts

The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for Idukki, Thrissur, and Palakkad districts for Saturday.

Orange alert has been sounded nine districts including Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Malappuzham, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts.

A red alert is sounded for rainfall of over 20 cm while an orange alert is for 6 cm to 20 cm of rain.

The state government has set up a 24-hour functioning control room and said caution will be exercised in the districts of Idukki, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad which are prone to landslides.

Northern districts most affected

Nilambur in Malappuram was briefly flooded after the Chaliyar river overflowed and people in waterlogged areas were asked to shift to their relatives homes.

The carcass of a wild elephant from Neriamangalam village in Ernakulam was washed away in the Periyar river in the heavy rains, forest department sources said.

In Thrissur, trees were uprooted in various places due to strong winds and heavy rains lashing the district.

In Chalakudy-Irinjalakuda region, trees and electric posts were uprooted with vast areas of rubber trees and banana farm being destroyed. Trees fell on some shops and homes, damaging them.

Meanwhile, in the hilly Idukki district, night travel was banned from tonight.

"Night travel ban is in place in Idukki due to heavy rains.The Munnar-Marayoor road is already closed.

The district administration has also blocked the Idukki-Kattappana National Highway," SDMA said.

2000 in relief camps

At least 2,334 people are in relief camps in various parts of the state. "A total of 1,854 people were evacuated Thursday and at present there are 20 camps across the state," a senior official from SDMA said.

The Malappuram district administration has opened nine relief camps in the district while seven are in Nilambur alone.

"We have opened nine camps in Malappuram with seven of them in Nilambur itself.

A total of 410 people are in the seven camps with adherence to COVID-19 protocol," a district disaster management authority told PTI.

The Wayanad district administration opened 12 camps and shifted at least 560 people.

"People from containment zones are kept separately," Wayanad district collector Dr Adeela Abdulla told the media.

Low pressure belt in Bay of Bengal

Meanwhile, the IMD has issued a special bulletin saying yesterday's well-marked low pressure area over Northwest Bay of Bengal adjoining north Odisha and West Bengal coasts now lies as a low pressure area over South West Madhya Pradesh.

"Another low pressure area is likely to develop over west central and adjoining North Bay of Bengal around 9th August, 2020.Very heavy to Extremely Heavy rainfall is expected during August 6 to 9 in Kerala," IMD said.

Mananthavady and Vythiri in Wayanad district recorded 19 and 18 cms of rain respectively on Thursday while Nilambur in Malappuram district recorded 10 cms of rain.

The southern state had been battered by heavy rains and floods during the previous two years in which over 500 people had lost their lives.

(With PTI inputs.)