JAKARTA, Indonesia - Hours of heavy rain triggered landslides Wednesday that killed at least 59 people in western Indonesia, media reports said.

The deaths occurred in several districts on the main island of Java after more than 12 hours of nonstop rain, said el-Shinta radio station, which put the death toll at 61. Metro TV said 59 people had died. Authorities could not immediately be reached to confirm the reports.

Metro TV reported that rescue officials were trying to reach the affected areas, 300 miles east of the capital Jakarta. The report said there was little chance of getting heavy lifting equipment to the scenes because of roads blocked by landslides.

Seasonal downpours cause dozens of landslides and flash floods each year in Indonesia, where millions of people live in mountainous regions and near fertile flood plains close to rivers.

Some environmentalists and government officials say deforestation is often a factor in the disasters, which they contend loosens soils on mountainsides.