TEMPO.CO, Lebak - Nearly 18 Islamic boarding school (pesantren) buildings incurred serious damage after a flash flood recently inundated several parts of Lebak District, Banten Province.

"We have reported to the Religious Affairs Ministry about the damaged pesantren buildings to obtain reconstruction fund," Chief of the Pesantren Section of the Lebak District Religious Affairs Office Ajrum Firdaus stated on Saturday.

The pesantren buildings are located in the sub-districts of Lebak Gedong, Curugbitung, Cipanas, Maja, and Sajira, he remarked.

He confirmed that learning activities are being suspended at the pesantren since the buildings were extensively damaged, while some of them were swept away by floodwaters.

"We hope that after the emergency response period ends, the pesantren buildings would be reconstructed, as the floods and landslides have been declared a national calamity," he stated.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) confirmed that at least eight people lost their lives in the flood.

The flooding also caused severe damage to 1,060 houses in the six sub-districts of Lebak.

"Most houses were severely damaged owing to their location on the banks of Ciberang River," Kaprawi, head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Lebak Regency, stated on Friday.

In addition to the severely damaged houses, the flash flood caused minor damage to 428 houses and submerged 1,226 houses.

The flooding also compelled 677 families to take refuge.

ANTARA