Jakarta  - A landslide triggered by heavy downpours buried alive five people in Indonesia's densely populated Central Java province, a media report said Tuesday.

A torrent of mud slammed into houses in Sukolilo village of Pati district on the northern part of Java island late Monday, burying five people who were either watching television or sleeping when the disaster took place, the state-run Antara news agency reported.

Three houses were flattened by the landslide, the report said.

Landslides are frequent in Indonesia, where years of deforestation have left hillsides vulnerable to collapse.

Environmentalists have warned that excessive logging and a failure to reforest denuded land are to blame. (dpa)