More than 100 people have been killed or are reported missing after landslides buried dozens of homes on Indonesia's Java island, authorities informed Wednesday.

Continuous rains triggered massive landslides and floods across the densely populated island.

In the early hours, landslides destroyed dozens of homes in seven sub-districts of Central Java's Karanganyar regency and buried alive more than 70 people. In the Wonogiri regency, 16 persons were killed by landslides, local authorities reported.

A bridge in East Java district of Madiun crumbled while 50 people were crossing it. The collapse was caused by a flash flood and many of those swept by the torrent are believed to be dead, media said.

Heavy rains and lack of proper equipment hampered the rescue operations in most regions. Indonesian media said many roads were destroyed and emergency teams are still trying to reach the calamity-struck regions.

It seems the worst affected region is Tawangmangu sub-district, about 500 kilometres south-east of Jakarta. Dozens were buried alive there and rescue workers are still waiting for heavy equipment to recover about 30 residents trapped under tons of earth.

Authorities said rescue operations are concentrated in Tawangmangu and will continue until all of the buried people are recovered.

In a region located about 45 kilometres south of Karanganyar, rescue crews were trying to recover the bodies of 16 people killed in mudslides. Several houses were swept away by floods and dozens more were severely damaged, officials said.

A rescue worker said “this is the worst landslide and flash flood disaster in 40 years.” Nearly four decades ago floods destroyed thousands of homes and took the lives of scores of people.

Torrential rains fell incessantly for days and caused rivers across Java and other islands to burst their banks, flooding tens of thousands of homes and cutting off land links with adjacent regions, media informed.

Environmentalists said logging and a failure to reforest bare land are responsible for the massive landslides that have affected Indonesia in recent years.