Lost Australian family found safe on Japan ski mountain

An Australian family who went missing at a Japanese ski resort have been rescued after sending out a social media SOS, and spending a chilly night in a snow cave, police and reports said Tuesday.

The unnamed mother and her three sons were found on the mountain shortly after 9:00 am local time (2300 GMT Monday) on Tuesday, a police spokesperson told AFP. "We understand they were found uninjured," the spokesperson added.

The search was on for the foursome - a mother in her fifties, two adult sons, and a younger boy - after they did not return from skiing on Monday evening at Nozawa Onsen in Nagano prefecture, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of Tokyo.

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The resort, known for deep powder snow and hot springs, is particularly popular with Australian skiers and snowboarders.

"Have just gotten off the phone with the head of Nozawa Ski Patrol and all members are fine. Everyone is very relieved to hear," Nozawa Holidays said.

Japanese reports said the group sent a message through social media to let friends and relatives know they were lost and needed help. The group reportedly dug a hole in the snow to keep warm as the mercury dropped well below zero degrees celsius.

Heavy snowfall has hit some parts of Japan in the past few days and the country's weather agency warned about snowstorms and heavy accumulation in coastal areas including mountainous Nagano.