Queen Letizia of Spain faced the ire of residents during her visit to Paiporta, Valencia, on November 3, 2024, following the catastrophic floods that claimed numerous lives.
Hundreds of residents in the Valencia suburb, severely affected by the recent floods, protested on Sunday during a visit by Spanish King Felipe and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Some protesters hurled mud at the royal and political figures. The crowd chanted 'Murderers, murderers!' as they expressed their frustration over what they perceived as delayed warnings from authorities about the storm and flooding, and the subsequent slow response by emergency services.
A young man confronted the king, saying, 'It was known and nobody did anything to avoid it.' Despite the chaos, King Felipe remained to engage with the residents, while the prime minister withdrew. During the visit to the devastated suburb of Paiporta, Felipe comforted a man who was in tears.
The central government has stated that issuing alerts to the public is the responsibility of regional authorities. The Valencia authorities claim they acted as best they could with the information at hand. Sanchez announced on Saturday that any potential negligence would be investigated.
The death toll from the worst flash floods in modern Spanish history rose to 217 on Sunday, with nearly all fatalities in the Valencia region, including over 60 in Paiporta alone. Dozens of people remain missing, and around 3,000 households still lack electricity. Thousands of additional troops and police were deployed over the weekend to assist in the disaster relief effort, marking the largest peacetime operation in Spain.
The floods submerged streets and lower floors of buildings, and washed away cars and debris in mudslides. This disaster is considered Europe's worst flood-related catastrophe in a single country since 1967, when at least 500 people died in Portugal. Scientists warn that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent due to climate change, with meteorologists attributing the severity of torrential rains to the warming of the Mediterranean, which increases water evaporation.
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