By Ainur Rohmah

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia

At least 26 people were killed and 17 others injured in a bus accident in central Indonesia Saturday evening, according to police.

Regional police chief Muhammad Joni said a bus carrying around 50 cooperative employees reversed on an uphill road in Subang Regency, West Java.

Most of the victims were females, Joni said.

The bus passengers were returning from a trip in Bandung City when they met with an accident.

"At that time, the bus was traveling from Bandung to Subang; when it reached an uphill road, the bus lost control and overturned," Joni said in an interview to Metro TV.

Television footage showed bodies lying on the ground, while officers tried to pull victims from bus windows.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident, but preliminary report suggests brake failure as a likely cause.

Transport accidents are common in Indonesia, where buses and trains are often old and poorly maintained. In July 2017, at least 10 people died after a bus collided with a truck in Indonesia's East Java province.