Spanish royals, PM and regional president pelted with mud by flood survivors

Broadcast live on Spanish television, the extraordinary scenes underscored the depth of the anger in the country over the response to the nation’s worst such disaster in decades, with the toll ever rising and hopes for finding survivors ebbing five days on.

The king and queen arrived just after midday at a crisis centre in Paiporta, ground zero for a disaster Sánchez called the second deadliest flood in Europe this century. Over 60 people are known to have perished in Paiporta alone, and thousands of lives shattered. With a population of 30,000, the town still has many streets completely clogged with piles of debris, destroyed cars and a ubiquitous layer of mud. ALSO READ: Spain activates largest peacetime deployment of army and police to epicentre of Valencia floods.

Police had to step in, with some officers on horseback, to keep back the crowd of several dozens who hurled mud and wielded shovels and poles threateningly.

‘Get out! Get out!’ and ‘Killers!’ the crowd shouted among other insults. Bodyguards opened umbrellas to protect the royals and officials from the barrage of muck.

More Guardia Civil officers were soon called to stand between the royals and the rest of the delegation and the angry crowd, whose ire seemed most directed at Sánchez and Valencia region head Mazón. Spanish media has reported that Sánchez was struck on the back with a pole.

While Sánchez and the politicians were then quickly moved away, reportedly following Spain’s standard security protocol, the king and queen spent an hour trying to calm tempers before leaving themselves.

After being forced to seek protection, the king, with flecks of mud on his face, made several efforts to speak to individual residents. One person appeared to have wept on his shoulder. He shook the hand of a man.

‘They knew it, they knew it, and yet they did nothing,’ one young man shouted at the king while waving a finger in his face.

The queen had small glops of mud on her hands and arms as she spoke to women.

‘We don´t have any water,’ one woman told the queen.

Many people still don’t have drinking water five days after the floods struck. Internet and mobile phone coverage remains patchy. Most people only got power back on Saturday. The neighbourhood’s stores and supermarkets are in ruins.

Later public television said that the royals’ visit to another area of the flood-hit region had been suspended.

Nearly all the flood deaths have been in the Valencia region, where Spain’s meteorological agency (AEMET) on Sunday issued a fresh warning for heavy downpours in the region.

Up to 100 litres per square metre of water could fall in places in the province of Castellon and the area surrounding the city of Valencia, the agency forecast.

It also sounded the alarm for torrential rain that may cause flooding in the southern province of Almeria (Andalusia), advising residents not to travel unless strictly necessary.

Since Tuesday’s torrent of rain and mud swept away vehicles and devastated towns and infrastructure, thousands of security and emergency services have frantically cleared debris and mud in the search for bodies.

Authorities have come under fire over the warning systems before the floods, and stricken residents have complained that the response to the disaster has been too slow.

Mazón himself has faced fierce criticism for waiting until Tuesday evening to issue a phone alert in Valencia, despite his region being under an extreme weather warning since that morning.

Indignation at the management of the disaster started after the initial shock wore off. The floods had already hit Paiporta when the regional officials issued an alert to mobile phones. It sounded two hours too late.

And more anger has been fueled by the inability of officials to respond quickly to the aftermath. Most of the clean-up of the layers and layers of mud and debris that has invaded countless homes has been done by residents and thousands of volunteers.

Los reyes Felipe y Letizia permanecen en la localidad valenciana de Paiporta dialogando con algunos vecinos de ese pueblo.https://t.co/Ye0TCm0WRo pic.twitter.com/Ql69X0JV5f

— EFE Noticias (@EFEnoticias) November 3, 2024

‼️🔴La reina Letizia ha tenido que abandonar la comitiva durante la visita a Paiporta de los reyes y del presidente del Gobierno, Pedro Sánchez y el presidente valenciano, Carlos Mazón.

➡️@aragontv ha captado así el momento. pic.twitter.com/MQNpOXbFvo

— Aragón Noticias (@AragonNoticias_) November 3, 2024

‼️ Lanzan objetos y fango al rey a su llegada a Paiporta: “¡Asesinos!”https://t.co/WdBMbvISwd pic.twitter.com/GAwqOnZuWz

— elDiario.es (@eldiarioes) November 3, 2024

Los Reyes, durante su visita a Paiporta (Valencia) esta mañana. pic.twitter.com/0OpPm9pAp0

— Casa de S.M. el Rey (@CasaReal) November 3, 2024