The three Dutch trekkers who went missing in the wake of the snow storm in Nepal are safe, the Telegraaf reports on Saturday.

One of the women, Frederique Dormaar, told the paper by phone that they had been snowed in and had no phone coverage.

In an text message to the paper, Dormaar said the storm hit when they were at Italian base camp and that they decided to leave the next day. The situation became too dangerous, however, because of melting snow.

On their return to the base camp they saw how rescue helicopter were collecting bodies from the slopes, the first inkling they had that something major had happened.  

The women, who are on their way down, had no idea they had been reported missing: ‘We’re sorry to have given people such a fright,’ the paper quotes Dormaar as saying.