The nightmare of the 2018 Kerala floods — the state’s most catastrophic in last 100 years — is back as nine districts are on IMD’s red alert following incessant rains that have resulted in floods, landslides and bridge collapses, leaving 28 people dead and seven missing in the last three days. A total of 64,000 people have been evacuated and shifted to relief camps, officials said on Saturday.

About 24 landslides have been reported and at least 40 people are feared trapped under debris in Wayanad and Malappuram district, said chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, adding that help has been sought from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and defence forces.

“Since Kochi airport has suspended operations till Sunday, the state has requested the Centre for permission to use the naval base airport. Till then, flights to Kochi will have to be diverted to Thiruvananthapuram,” chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

Indian Navy’s airport INS Garuda will be soon opened for civil aircraft operations, according to Navy spokesperson Captain DK Sharma. Indian Air Force has ordered 12 helicopters to wait on standby for quick deployment in Kerala from Sulur Air Base in Tamil Nadu. During the 2018 floods, rescue Operation Karuna had harnessed IAF’s Mi-17V5 and advanced light helicopters.

As many as 13 teams of NDRF, three teams each of the engineering task force and the Army are in Kerala to spearhead rescue from landslides, the chief minister said. Wayanad is the worst hit. Over 30 estate workers were feared missing in a landslide at Puthumala, near Meppadi in Wayanad. Rahul Gandhi, area MP, whom the district officials urged to keep away from the constituency to avoid diversion of security manpower from emergency rescue operations, said that he would co-ordinate the relief activities from New Delhi.

Except the state capital and Kollam, all Kerala districts are rain-battered. Several trains have been called off and buses are steering away from water-logged roads. “As more landslides in far-flung places are being reported, the casualties are likely to go higher,” said spokesperson of the State Disaster Management Cell.

The Met department has issued a red alert in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargod Districts of the state for Friday and in Ernakulam, Idukki, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kannur for Saturday.

The heavy unabated rains since the past few days have hit the state which is yet to fully recover from the extensive damage caused by the August 2018 deluge that claimed over 400 lives and left lakhs of people homeless.