Kodagu (Karnataka), Five persons were reported missing in collapse of some houses after a landslide in the Bramhagiri hills near Talakaveri in Karnataka's Kodagu district following heavy rains and gusty winds, an official said on Thursday.

"Heavy and widespread rains over the last 2-3 days caused a landslide in the Brahmagiri hills leading to collapse of some houses and 5 persons, including family members of a temple priest are missing. Efforts are on to locate and rescue them," a district official told IANS on phone.

Talakaveri is about 300km southwest of Bengaluru in the state.

"A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team has rushed to the spot for rescuing the missing persons in the area," the official said.

Talakaveri temple on the foothills was also inundated with rain water overflowing from Bhagamandala, which is the source of river Cauvery in the rich bio-diverse Western Ghats.

The landslide has blocked the ghat road disrupting rescue operation and vehicular traffic in the region.

"At least 2 houses belonging to the temple priests were damaged in the landslide," the official added.

Meanwhile, the state disaster management centre has sounded red alert in the coastal, central and south interior areas of the southern state due to heavy rains and flooding in the districts.

The district received 117mm rainfall during the last 24 hours, resulting in the tributaries of the river overflowing and flooding low-laying areas and submerging low level road bridges.

Very heavy and widespread rains were reported in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada districts in the coast region and Chikkamagluru, Shivamogga, Hassan and Haveri in the state's Malnad region as the southwest monsoon advanced and remained active.