Thiruvananthapuram | The India Meteorological Department on Tuesday issued a red alert for the high-range Wayanad district rocked by landslides triggered by incessant rains and neighbouring Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur districts indicating extremely heavy rainfall.

While the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Red alert for four districts including Wayand, an Orange alert has been issued for Tuesday for all other districts of the state except Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam.

A red alert indicates heavy to extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours. An orange alert means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm, and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.

An Orange alert has been issued for Tuesday to Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad and Kasaragod districts.

The Met office has also issued an Orange alert for Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kannur districts on Wednesday also.

Amidst the heavy rain, multiple NDRF teams, two helicopters and other rescue teams are on their way to Mundakkai, which has been totally cut off by a devastating landslides that rocked Wayanad district, the state government said on Tuesday.

As of now, the official death toll in Wayanad landslides which occurred in the wee hours of Tuesday has gone up to 23 including children and women. Authorities expect the toll to increase.

Over 70 are admitted to various hospitals and several people are stranded in many places of Wayanad which is receiving heavy rainfall.