An Indonesian official says 24 people have been killed by flooding and landslides in central Java and many others remain missing.

Dozens of houses were buried in the landslides and thousands of homes were inundated by floods in 16 districts and towns over the weekend.

Spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said Sunday that 26 villagers are missing in Purworejo, the worst hit district.

Rescue workers are still searching for victims and evacuating others.

Seasonal rains often cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or flood-prone plains close to rivers.