Officials in New York have said they are closer to a reliable figure for the number of people missing and dead in the terrorist attacks.
While officials are still far from giving a final toll, they said have culled most of the duplicated names.
Yesterday the number of missing and dead reported by the city consisted of 4,339 missing, plus 425 identified dead.
The figure includes those in the Trade Centre and those aboard the two hijacked airliners that crashed into the twin towers.
US Police Chief Mr Charles Campisi, who heads the missing persons effort, said: "I think we're in the ballpark. The list is in a state of flux and it will continue to be."
If anything, the number will drop. Mr Campisi said he expected police will continue to discover some families who filed early missing-person reports neglected to notify police when loved ones turned up safe.
Duplicate missing-person reports and overestimates from some foreign consulates also contribute to the swings.
Despite the fluctuations, Mr Mike Byrne, deputy co-ordinating officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, praised the city's efforts to catalogue the missing and dead.
PA