On Sunday (November 3), during a visit to the outskirts of Valencia, Spain by King Felipe, Queen Letizia, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, hundreds of residents who were severely affected by last week’s flooding held a protest, with some even throwing mud at them.
According to reports from Reuters, the flood victims shouted “murderers, murderers!” during the protest to express the anger and frustration pent up within them. Local residents widely believe that authorities were slow to issue warnings about the dangerous flooding that occurred last Tuesday, and that the response of emergency services during the disaster was also slow.
A young person told the King, “This was known in advance, but no one took any measures to prevent it.” Despite the turmoil, King Felipe insisted on staying to talk to the people, while the Prime Minister quickly left the scene.
Spain is a parliamentary monarchy, with the King serving as the head of state.
During the visit to the flooded area of Paiporta, King Felipe was seen wearing a simple dark raincoat, and from a distance, he was seen embracing a man who was crying on his shoulder.
Online videos show Queen Letizia in tears while hugging some residents. Her hair and face were covered in mud, and one of her bodyguards had blood on his face, evidently injured by objects thrown at them.
The bodyguards opened umbrellas in an attempt to protect the royal family members.
The central government stated that issuing warnings to the public is the responsibility of regional governments. Valencia authorities said they had taken action based on the information available to them.
Prime Minister Sanchez stated on Saturday that an investigation into any possible negligence would be conducted later and urged political unity in the face of the tragedy.
Carlos Mazon, the leader of the Valencia autonomous community, also visited Paiporta amid protests and insults from the protesters. He posted on social media, “I understand the public’s anger, and of course, I will stay and accept it. It is my political and moral duty. The King’s attitude this morning can be considered exemplary.”
This is the most severe flash flood in modern Spanish history, with the death toll rising to 217 people as of Sunday, almost all in the Valencia region, with over 60 deaths in Paiporta alone.
Officials say there are still dozens of people missing, and approximately 3,000 households are still without power.
Over the weekend, thousands of additional soldiers and police officers joined the relief efforts, making it the largest relief operation in Spain during peacetime.
The floods submerged the lower levels of streets and buildings, washing away cars and debris from the mudslides.
This is the most severe flooding event in Europe since 1967, when a flood in Portugal claimed the lives of at least 500 people.