Valencia's Anger Boils Over: Royal Visit Marred by Floods Crisis

Hundreds of Valencia residents, angered by what they see as late warnings and response to deadly floods, protested during a visit by Spanish royals and the prime minister. As tensions rose, accusations of negligence surfaced amidst ongoing rescue efforts, highlighting Spain's struggle with a historic natural disaster.

Anger and frustration reached a boiling point in Valencia as hundreds gathered to protest the perceived delayed response to last week's catastrophic floods during a visit by Spain's King Felipe, Queen Letizia, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The rally saw mud being thrown at the dignitaries amid chants of 'Murderers, murderers!', expressing their ire over what locals described as tardy alerts.

During the highly-charged visit to Paiporta, a suburb severely affected by the floods, King Felipe made a point to engage with the grieving crowd, despite the hectic atmosphere. Prime Minister Sanchez, however, observed from a distance after swiftly retreating. The tragic natural disaster has claimed 217 lives, predominantly in the Valencia region, with over 60 fatalities in Paiporta alone.

Spain is reeling from what is now considered the worst flood-related disaster in Europe since 1967, attributed in part to climate change. Meteorologists believe that the warming Mediterranean has intensified the heavy rainfall. As investigations into the disaster response and public alerts are underway, experts and government officials are calling for political unity.

(With inputs from agencies.)