Flood-Stricken Spaniards Pelt Royal Couple With Mud as Grief Over Flooding Turns to Rage

Spain is suffering from its worst flooding in decades. And grief over the loss of nearly 220 lives and countless homes from the deluge has turned to rage as residents of one of the hardest-hit places on Sunday pelted the nation’s visiting king and queen with the mud covering their streets.

“Murderer” and “shame” Paiporta residents cried at King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. They yelled as the mud-splattered royal couple tried to talk to enraged people and comfort the mournful. 

“We don't have any water,” a woman told the queen, who became tearful after hearing stories of flood survivors. A second woman wept as Letizia held her.

Flash floods were brought on by massive rainfall October 28. They swept across eastern Spain, flooding rail lines, toppling a bridge, and spilling muddy water into homes. Post-flood pictures show cars piled atop each other on streets in Valencia. 

Arkait Iniguez is a high school student in Catarroja. He told Sky News the water came in so fast that he barely escaped with his life. 

“At first I was in the water up to my knee," said Iniguez. He was trying to check on his grandmother. The rising water swept him away before he could get there. The teen saved himself by grabbing onto a car and climbing on top of the vehicle. 

Many residents say the government’s response to the crisis has been haphazard. In Paiporta, for example, a government text alert about the pending flood pinged residents’ phones two hours after much of the city was under water. Some say they haven’t seen a police car or fire truck in days.

“They can’t even give us the basics?” Denis Borisov of Paiporta told The Sunday Times. “We are doing it all ourselves, we’ve been left alone.” 

Reflect: How much responsibility should a nation’s leaders bear for the loss of life or property to a natural disaster in their country?

Photo of flood damage in Spain from Reuters.