Montroc is a hamlet in eastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, located in the territory of the commune of

Chamonix Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (; ; (no longer in use)), more commonly known simply as Chamonix (), is a communes of France, commune in the departments of France, department in the regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It was the site of the f ...

. Several houses at Poses 150 m north-east of Montroc were destroyed on 9 February 1999 by a slab

avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...

from Bec du Lachat and Mont Peclerey on the

Mont Blanc Mont Blanc (, ) is a mountain in the Alps, rising above sea level, located right at the Franco-Italian border. It is the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains, the second-most prominent mountain in Europe (after Mount E ...

massif, killing 12 people. In July, 2003, the mayor of

, Michel Charlet, received a three-month suspended prison sentence for his part in the handling of events immediately prior to the avalanche. There is a memorial to those lost at site of the avalanche on the road from Montroc to Le Tour.

External links

Montroc avalanche
at PisteHors.com {{authority control Villages in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Chamonix