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The driver allegedly sped off with the couple's luggage after a row over a fare for the 360-mile journey from Forli, in Italy, to the French ski resort of Flaine, in Haute-Savoie.

According to French newspaper la Provence, an investigation into a "commercial dispute" was opened by the Bonneville prosecutor's office in Haute-Savoie.

One torrent of snow came in Val-Cenis, in the south-eastern Savoie region, killing four Norwegian skiers, while a Swiss skier died further north in the Haute-Savoie region, near Chamonix.

The Haute-Savoie prefecture reminded skiers and hikers to exercise caution and follow guidance amid January's high avalanche risk.

The Haute-Savoie region is known for its outstanding Chamonix ski resort, which hosts World Cup races, for sweeping views across glacier fields to nearby Italy, and — some would say more importantly — as a producer of fine cheese.