Spain: Video shows moment angry crowds hurl mud at King as Valencia floods kill 217 including British couple
Video shows the King and Queen of Spain being pelted with mud as they visited the flood-hit town of Valencia, as the death toll rises to 217 people, including a British couple.
Shouts of "murderer" and "shame" were directed at the royal couple, Spain's prime minister and other leaders as they walked through the town of Paiporta - one of the worst-affected in the region by the devastating floods. King Felipe and Queen Letizia were seen with mud on their faces and clothes.
More than 200 people were killed in the floods, the worst in Spain for decades. Emergency workers are continuing to comb through underground car parks and tunnels in the hope of finding survivors and recovering bodies.
There has been anger at a perceived lack of warning and insufficient support from authorities after the floods. Footage showed the King making his way down a pedestrian street, before his bodyguards and police were suddenly overwhelmed by a surge of protesters, hurling insults and screaming.
They struggled to maintain a protective ring around the monarch, as some of the protesters threw mud and objects. The King engaged with several, even embracing them.
One boy, Pau, told the BBC through tears: “I’m just 16. We’re helping - and the leaders do nothing. People are still dying. I can’t stand this any more.”
One woman said: “They left us to die. We’ve lost everything: our businesses, our homes, our dreams.” The civil guard and mounted officers were later seen attempting to disperse the angry crowd.
The royal entourage had intended to travel on to Chiva, another town in the Valencia province badly impacted by the flooding, but that visit has since been postponed. The King later said he understood the "anger and frustration" of the protestors in a video posted on the royal household's Instagram account.
The devastating floods began on Tuesday 29 October following a period of intense rainfall. Floodwaters quickly caused bridges to collapse and enveloped towns in thick mud.
Many communities were cut off, left without access to water, food, electricity and other basic services. On Sunday (3 November) the death toll from the flooding rose to 217, with many more feared missing.