Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia returned on Tuesday to the area in the Valencia region devastated by last month’s catastrophic flooding – the first time since enraged survivors had pelted them and top elected officials with mud on their first visit to the disaster zone. ALSO READ: Spanish royals, PM and regional president pelted with mud by flood survivors.
The royals visited the town of Chiva along with a central government minister, Ángel Víctor Torres, and the regional leader of Valencia, Carlos Mazón, whom many citizens have slammed for bungling the flood response. ALSO READ: Regional president of Valencia admits to ‘mistakes’ in handling flood disaster, but refuses to resign.
There was no mud flung this time as Felipe and Letizia shook hands with people at the beginning of their tour of the village. Other spectators took photos.
Chiva, a hilltop town some 30 kilometres to the west of Valencia city, was ripped apart by a crushing wall of water that overflowed a normally dry gorge on the night of 29 October. Two of the four bridges spanning the gorge were demolished and several houses were washed away.
The royals, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and the Valencian leader had attempted to visit a hard-hit neighbourhood of Valencia’s southern outskirts on 3 November, just a few days after the floods. But they had to cut it short when angry locals tossed mud and other objects on their arrival in Paiporta.
The royals withstood the vitriol for half an hour and spoke to several furious residents, but they eventually had to cancel the visit and postpone a subsequent stop planned for later that day in Chiva. ALSO READ: Over 130,000 march in Valencia to protest handling of deadly floods.
The floods claimed a confirmed 227 lives and destroyed thousands of homes and vehicles. The clean-up effort continues three weeks on. ALSO READ: Sánchez announces a further €3.8bn in flood aid as anger at leaders grows.
The regional government of Valencia on Tuesday appointed a retired high-ranking army officer to lead a new post in charge of rebuilding the areas in the region worst affected.
Sánchez is due to appear in parliament this month to explain the central government’s handling of the floods.
Los reyes, recibidos en la ‘zona cero’ de la DANA entre aplausos y gritos de “Mazón, dimisión”https://t.co/wkk7nupyVA
— Cadena SER (@La_SER) November 19, 2024
Informa @Juan_Magraner
Los reyes Felipe y Letizia regresan a Valencia https://t.co/rscwNdtsL3 pic.twitter.com/W67LJZaI1X
— RTVE Noticias (@rtvenoticias) November 19, 2024
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