By Rishav Kothari
Sunday, August 30, 2026 00:10 UTC
The death toll from the August 26, 2026, Bhote Koshi flash flood rose to 675 in Nepal on August 29, while 2 426 people remained unaccounted for. Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle said an initial estimate put the cost of rebuilding at USD 4–5 billion as loss-and-damage assessments continued.
Nepal may need USD 4–5 billion to rebuild after the Bhote Koshi flash flood struck on August 26,, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle told Reuters. The death toll in Nepal rose to 675 on August 29, while 2 426 people remained unaccounted for in the country.
Wagle described the USD 4–5 billion figure as an initial estimate and said the assessment of loss and damage was continuing. The potential reconstruction bill is equivalent to nearly one-tenth of Nepal’s economy, while affected power projects account for more than 12% of the country’s generating capacity.
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