Four more rain-related deaths were reported from different parts of north Kerala on Wednesday as people heaved a sigh of relief after a slight let up in rainfall since morning.
Two persons died in Kozhikode and one each in Malappuram and Wayanad districts since Tuesday night, police said.
In Kozhikode, a 22-year-old youth drowned in a pit in front of his house at Olavanna, while the body of another person, who had been reported missing, was found at Mukkom. A search was on to trace two more persons, they said.
The body of a child was found in Malappuram, where two other persons were reported missing, police said.
Police traced the body of a person reported missing at Mananthavadi in Wayanad on Wednesday morning.
55 relief camps
A total of 55 relief camps had been set up in Kozhikode, while 78 camps had been opened in Wayanad where over 1,500 families had been accommodated. Road traffic continued to be affected in several places as rescue teams had a tough time in clearing blocks. About 1,500 houses were damaged in the heavy rains in Kozhikode alone, police said.
Rescue operations, assisted by the Navy, Coast Guard and CISF, were in full swing in many parts of north Kerala.
A review meeting, attended by Revenue Minister K P Rajendran and Forest Minister Binoy Viswom was held at the District Collectorate to oversee relief works and initiate urgent steps to rehabilitate the affected.
Naval team
A team from Naval Academy in Ezhimala is engaged in rescue works in Wayanad district which recorded 111 mm rainfall on Tuesday, the highest in a decade.
About 60 relief camps have been opened to rehabilitate more than 350 people. A battalion of Rapid Action Force from Coimbatore is expected here by noon to assist in relief works in the areas where landslides occurred, official sources said.
In Malappuram district, where landslips have been reported in several places, incessant rains has caused widespread damage throwing normal life out of gear.
Meanwhile, holiday has been declared for schools in Kozhikode, Wayanad and Malappuram districts for the second day on Wednesday.
