Nordic lists of missing revised

Denmark's royal family attended a memorial service

Denmark and Norway have slashed the totals for their citizens still missing after the Asian tsunami, but they say the death tolls will still rise.

Both countries and Finland named those missing, but Sweden - with 2,322 people unaccounted for - refrained from doing so, for security reasons.

Swedish police fear the houses of those missing could be burgled.

The number of missing Danes was cut from 207 to 69 and missing Norwegians from 462 to 150.

The confirmed death tolls for Nordic countries on Monday were: Sweden - 52, Norway - 16, Denmark - seven, Finland - five. But officials warned that those figures were expected to rise.

CONFIRMED DEATHS Sweden: 52 dead, 2,322 missing Norway: 16 dead, 150 missing Denmark: 7 dead, 69 missing Finland: 5 dead, 186 missing Iceland: 11 missing Mother found alive Swedish dad finds son

Identity fraud

In Norway several people contacted police to say they were safely home, after realising they had been on the missing persons list. Further checks revealed that some others had been listed twice.

Police in Norway are on alert to prevent people assuming the identities of the missing to commit fraud or to wipe out their own debts.

A similar type of fraud occurred in the Nordic countries in 1994 after the sinking of the ferry Estonia, which left more than 500 people dead.

Up to 7,000 Europeans are still missing, more than a week after the tsunami disaster.

More than a dozen planes have brought injured Scandinavians back home from Thailand, where the giant waves struck beach resorts on 26 December.

Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson has said more than 1,000 Swedes may have died.

Scandinavia worst hit

Nordic countries were the worst affected in Europe, with thousands of holidaymakers enjoying the Christmas break in Phuket and nearby resorts.

Denmark held a national day of mourning for the victims on Sunday, with shoppers and workers stopping to observe a two-minute silence. Flags flew at half-mast and the royal family attended a memorial ceremony.

Sweden, Finland and Norway held a day of mourning for tsunami victims on Saturday.

Germany has reported 60 of its nationals dead and more than 1,000 missing.

Switzerland, Italy and Austria have each put the number of their missing in the hundreds.

Britain has released official figures for the first time. UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw confirmed 40 deaths and said there were fears that another 160 Britons may never be found alive.