Crowds hurl mud at Spanish king on visit to flood disaster town

King Felipe VI of Spain (R) is hugged by a man as other angry residents heckled him during his visit to Paiporta, in the region of Valencia, eastern Spain, on Nov. 3, 2024, in the aftermath of devastating deadly floods

Furious locals hurled mud and insults at Spain's king, queen, and prime minister on Sunday in a startling show of anger in the worst-hit town from the flood disaster that has killed more than 210 people.

More heavy rain fell in the Valencia region after King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez were forced to leave Paiporta, where more than 70 people died in floods last Tuesday.

Mud hit the monarchs in the face and clothes as they tried to calm the angry crowd in scenes that underscored the frustration over the response to the disaster, which has now claimed at least 217 lives, with many more still missing.

The king and queen went to a crisis center in Paiporta, but extra security personnel soon had to keep the angry crowd—shouting "murders"—away from the royals and the prime minister. They put up umbrellas to shield the royal couple from mud.

The king later stated that Spain had to "understand the anger and frustration" of the people affected by the devastation that left cars in muddy heaps on the streets.

In a social media video, the king called on the public to provide the victims with "hope and their guarantee that the state in its entirety is present."

Most of the fury seemed directed at Prime Minister Sanchez and Valencia's regional government head Carlos Mazon.

"I understand the social anger, and of course, I'm here to receive it. This is my political and moral obligation," Mazon said in a post on X.

The rear window of Sanchez's car was broken before he and...