Angry crowds throw mud at Spain's King Felipe VI in flood-hit Paiporta town as fresh weather warnings issued

Summary

Angry crowds of people shouted and threw objects and mud at Spanish King Felipe VI in Paiporta, Valencia, a town affected by the flash floods
In the last hour, the king has said that he "understands the anger and frustration", in a video shared by the royal household
New red weather warnings have been issued for parts of southern Valencia by Spain's national weather agency (AEMET), as they say the storms will "not be like Tuesday's"
At least 217 people have died in the flash floods, with many more feared missing

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Video shows angry crowd throwing objects at Spain's king

Live Reporting

Edited by Matt Spivey

Search dogs and drones used to find trapped people, Spanish police sayspublished at 14:34 Greenwich Mean Time 3 November
The search for people still missing in the Valencia region is continuing, with the Spanish Civil Guard saying it has deployed more staff.
They are continuing to search for those unaccounted for, it says - as well as protecting homes and businesses, rescuing animals that have been lost and helping deliver supplies to the area.
Meanwhile, Spain's National Police Corps says it is using search dogs and drones to help locate people who might be trapped in hard-to-reach areas.
While the king was visiting Paiporta, Spain's minister for territorial policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, spoke at a news conference in the capital Madrid.
He declined to give any figure about the number of people still missing following the catastrophic flooding this week.
"It is clear that we already have a very high number of people dead and in that sense, through the official mechanisms, we will inform you when the necessary work is being carried out," Torres told reporters.
Valencian president says he understands anger and commends kingpublished at 14:19 Greenwich Mean Time 3 November
We can now bring you the response from Valencian president Carlos Mazón, who has expressed sympathy for the indignation expressed by people in the region and praised King Felipe VI's response to the crowd.
In a post on X, Mazón says he understands the public's anger, external and that it is his "political and moral obligation" to listen to it.
"The king's attitude this morning has been exemplary," he adds.
Mud thrown at King Felipe VI and Queen Letiziapublished at 14:08 Greenwich Mean Time 3 November
During the visit to the Valencian town Paiporta, mud was thrown at both the king and queen of Spain.
One image shows the king with what appears to be objects and mud flying through the air behind him.
Other pictures taken at the scene show a number of people trying to prevent the mud from hitting the king with an umbrella, while another shows the queen with dried mud on her face.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Reuters
Image source, EPA
King's visit was 'a very bad decision', says Spanish politicianpublished at 14:00 Greenwich Mean Time 3 November
Image source, Getty Images
Juan Bordera, a member of the Valencian parliament, says the King's visit to flood-struck Valencia was "a very bad decision".
Angry residents and volunteers welcomed the Spanish monarch with heckling and mud projectiles as he walked down the debris-filled streets.
More than 210 people have died in flash floods in the country, with dozens still missing.
Authorities “didn’t listen to any warnings,” Bordera tells the BBC, adding the response of the national government is “also questionable”.
“It’s logical that the people are angry, it’s logical that the people didn’t understand why this visit is so urgent,” he adds.
Watch: King confronted by angry crowdspublished at 13:51 Greenwich Mean Time 3 November
In video footage, the angry crowd can be seen confronting the king during his visit.
Chants of "murderer" can be heard, while others ask why he didn't come to the Valencia region sooner.
Angry crowds confront Spanish king on visit to flood-hit Valenciapublished at 13:48 Greenwich Mean Time 3 November
King Felipe VI has just been confronted by angry crowds in Paiporta, a Valencian town largely affected by the floods, where angry protesters shouted "murderer".
One protester shouted "you have arrived four days late". Heavy rains that began on Monday caused floods that destroyed bridges and covered towns with mud, cutting off communities and leaving them without water, food or electricity.
As a reminder, at least 211 people were killed by floods that devastated parts of south-east Spain, with many more missing.
We'll bring you the latest lines as we get them - so stay with us.