A British aid worker from Gloucester has revealed that he was mistakenly identified as a survivor of the recent devastating flash floods in Nepal, with authorities incorrectly announcing that he had been rescued.
Alastair Chambers, 45, a Gloucester councillor, explained to the Press Association that the confusion occurred upon his return to Kathmandu on a humanitarian aid flight after volunteering in a remote village affected by the floods.
Nepali officials had initially announced on Tuesday that a British man had been rescued in the Rasuwa region. The Nepali Army had stated via Facebook that 119 people, including a British citizen, were airlifted to safety. However, Mr Chambers clarified that he had travelled voluntarily to assist with relief efforts and was not part of any rescue operation.
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“I took a humanitarian aid helicopter back to Kathmandu after spending several days in a village near the Trishuli river,” he said. “Upon arrival at the army barracks, a police officer requested my details, and they assumed I had been rescued.”
Reflecting on the incident, Mr Chambers commented: “It’s been a bit of a strange situation. I complied with their requests, and the misunderstanding must have spread quickly. I’ve been contacted by around 15 journalists asking how I was after being rescued, but I had to explain that I wasn’t.”
Mr Chambers had been inspired to travel to Nepal after seeing the scale of devastation caused by the floods on the news. Alongside other volunteers, he distributed sleeping bags, water purification tools, food, and other essentials to communities cut off by collapsed infrastructure, often travelling by helicopter due to hazardous road conditions.
“The journey faced many challenges,” he explained. “There were numerous landslides and blocked roads, stretching a trip that should have taken one and a half hours to about eight or nine. We experienced a flood scare one morning which forced us to take shelter on higher ground until conditions improved.
“Subsequently, we helped locate bodies and provide humanitarian aid over the following days. While it was difficult, the experience has been profoundly rewarding.”
Looking ahead, Mr Chambers plans to return to the UK to raise funds for the affected village, before going back with necessary supplies and to install solar-powered lighting.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office has reported that 36 British nationals remain unaccounted for in the aftermath of the floods, a rise from the previous figure of 33. Foreign Office minister Lord Wood of Anfield made the announcement in the House of Lords.
To bolster recovery efforts, Baroness Winterton, Minister for the Indo-Pacific, is scheduled to visit Kathmandu to meet with Nepalese and UN officials, embassy staff, and the UK’s rapid deployment team assisting British families. Additionally, Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty will engage with the British-Nepali community in London to discuss support for those affected.
The UK Government has committed £5 million in humanitarian aid to support relief and recovery operations following the floods.