Mud thrown at Spain's king as death toll from flood rises

Royal couple face chants of murderers’ from angry crowds

- HOLLY EVANS

Handfuls of mud were thrown at the Spanish king and queen by hundreds of protesters in Valencia who chanted “murderers, murderers” yesterday, as the region continues to reel from deadly floods that have killed at least 217 people.

Anger and frustration have been mounting among residents over what has widely been perceived as delayed alerts from the authorities about the severity of Tuesday’s heavy rainfall, which triggered “tsunami-style” flooding. “It was known and nobody did anything to avoid it,” a young man told the king, who insisted on staying to talk to people despite the turmoil, while prime minister Pedro Sanchez quickly withdrew.

The protests come as fears grow that large numbers of bodies remain trapped underwater – including in the entirely submerged underground car park of Bonaire shopping centre, one of the largest in Spain. Specialist scuba divers are now searching for bodies in the car park after it was reported that a number of shoppers had “ignored” advice from security guards to abandon their vehicles.

“No one knows for sure how many people there might still be down there,” said Eduardo Martinez, who works in the centre.