Briton Says Nepal Wrongly Counted Him as Rescued

"I got dropped off at the army barracks, and when I got dropped off one of the police officers came up to me and asked for my details. Then they presumed that I'd been rescued. It's been a bit of a weird one, really," Chambers told the Press Association.

"News spreads — I was contacted by about 15 different journalists in the last few hours, just asking how I was and how I'm feeling after being rescued, and I had to say: 'Well sorry, I haven't been rescued.'"

Chambers said he gave police his details to abide by the rules and only later realized what they had done with them. He described the work as dangerous — landslides, trees across the roads — but "very rewarding."

The BBC said it had contacted the Foreign Office for comment.

The Numbers Don't Agree

The official tallies out of Kathmandu have moved in different directions from day to day, and the wire copy reflects it.

The BBC put the toll at more than 1,000 dead with 3,900 still missing. CTV News reported more than 1,100 killed and roughly 4,400 missing. The Times of Israel reported more than 1,100 dead with nearly 4,000 missing.

The Independent reported Wednesday that some tourists previously listed as missing have made contact with authorities — meaning the missing column is being corrected downward by people turning up, not only by bodies being found.

As of Sept. 1, the State Department said roughly 80 Americans were unaccounted for and 13 U.S. citizens had reached safety. The U.S. has activated $3.6 million in emergency aid, including an initial $500,000 through Catholic Relief Services.