Sea water crashed into fishing hamlets late Friday in Trivandrum, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Thrissur and Kannur districts, state revenue minister K.M Mani told reporters.

Meteorologists did not say what caused the tide.

"District officials with the help of the police shifted people living in the coastal belt into 16 makeshift camps as sea water swept into their homes," said Mani.

"The high tide has started receding but people have been asked not to go out into the sea in their fishing boats. Most of the villagers are too scared to think of taking any chances as it has revived memories of the tsunami," he added.

Most people opted to stay at the camps Saturday, despite the sea being calm.

Some 10,273 people died and 5,823 were listed missing in the December 26 when towering waves slammed into the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago in the Indian Ocean.