A car and a packed church bus returning from an outing have collided and plunged into a river in Indonesia’s West Java province, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than a dozen others, police said.

The bus, carrying about 60 people from a church in northern Jakarta, was returning from a trip to the hilly resort town of Puncak.

Local traffic police chief Captain Muhammad Chaniago said its brakes apparently malfunctioned.

He said the bus hit a small car and crashed through the wall of a roadside building before both vehicles fell up to 26ft into the river in Cisarua.

At least 18 people were confirmed dead and 40 injured, said the local disaster management agency.

Most of the dead were killed instantly, and those with injuries were rushed to two nearby hospitals, Chaniago said.

Road accidents are common in Indonesia due to poor safety standards and infrastructure.