Alastair Chambers, a former Gloucestershire councillor and aid worker, has clarified that he was mistakenly identified as a survivor rescued from the severe flash floods that struck Nepal last week. Authorities in Nepal had announced that a British man had been rescued, prompting widespread reports that referred to Mr Chambers. However, he explained that he had returned to Kathmandu on a humanitarian aid flight after volunteering in a remote village, rather than being part of a rescue operation.
Mr Chambers, 45, told the Press Association that the confusion arose when he arrived at the army barracks in Kathmandu following several days of relief work near the Trishuli river in central Nepal. A police officer took his details, mistakenly assuming he had been rescued. “I gave them my details, just abiding by the rules, and they obviously thought that I’d been rescued,” he said. “News spread quickly, and I was contacted by about 15 different journalists asking how I was after being rescued. I had to explain that I hadn’t been rescued.”
He recounted the challenging conditions faced during the relief efforts, including dangerous terrain, landslides, and a flood scare that forced volunteers to seek higher ground. The journey to the affected village, normally one and a half hours by road, took eight to nine hours due to blocked roads and collapsed bridges.
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“I flew to Nepal after seeing the devastation caused by the floods on the news,” said Mr Chambers. Alongside other volunteers, he helped distribute sleeping bags, water purification tools, food, and essentials to communities cut off by the disaster, travelling by helicopter to reach isolated areas.
Looking ahead, Mr Chambers plans to return to the UK to raise funds for the village before going back to Nepal with supplies and to establish solar-powered lighting.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom government is actively supporting Nepal’s recovery. Foreign Office minister Lord Wood of Anfield informed the House of Lords that 36 British nationals remain unaccounted for, up from 33 previously reported. Baroness Winterton, Minister for the Indo-Pacific, is scheduled to visit Kathmandu to meet local and UN officials, as well as embassy staff and members of the UK rapid deployment team assisting British nationals' families.
In London, Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty will engage with the British-Nepali community to discuss available support. The UK Government has committed £5 million for humanitarian aid to support relief and recovery efforts in Nepal.