'Dead' turn up alive

OSLO - Jan Johansen heard of his death in the Boxing Day tsunami while he was at work in Norway.

The social worker was flabbergasted when the local mayor turned up at his office to tell his colleagues that Johansen was among 91 missing Norwegians feared dead.

"It was like reading the announcement of your own death," said Johansen, 39.

He returned home last week to Koppang, in southeast Norway, with his wife and baby daughter after a holiday in Thailand.

The feared Nordic death toll has more than halved in recent days. But with the relief there is anger that lists of missing people in Norway and Denmark included hundreds who are alive.

Some have never even visited Asia.

"I'm shocked ... The police should have checked," said Karen Walberg, a Norwegian woman who was listed as missing with her 11-year-old son, even though they had been on holiday in Egypt.

"People thought I was dead."

In Sweden, police said some names had been listed three times.

Sweden is still Europe's hardest-hit country.

But the combined missing total for Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland was down to 2310 from almost 5700 at the weekend.

Sixteen Norwegians have so far been confirmed dead, along with seven Danes and one Finn.

The Prime Ministers of Sweden, Finland and Norway will visit Thailand from January 16-19 to discuss aid and offer thanks for help given to tourists after the disaster.

Denmark's Prime Minister will also visit at a date to be fixed.

- REUTERS