An angry mob throws mud at the King of Spain in flood-hit Valencia

Angry protesters pelted the King and Queen of Spain with mud and other objects during a visit to the flood-hit town of Paiport.

Cries of “murderer” and “shame” rang out at the royal delegation as they walked through the city, one of the hardest-hit areas of the Valencia region.

Later, King Felipe and Queen Letizia could be seen with mud on their faces and clothes, cheering on the crowd.

More than 200 people have died in Spain’s worst floods in decades. Emergency workers continue to comb underground car parks and tunnels in hopes of finding survivors and recovering bodies.

There was outrage over the lack of warning and support from the authorities after the floods.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia visited Paiporta, a city that was seriously affected.

King Felipe is talking to a man — Angry residents insulted King Felipe during a visit to Paiporta (Getty Images)

Footage showed the king making his way down a pedestrianized street as his bodyguards and police were suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of insulting and shouting protesters.

They struggled to maintain a protective ring around the monarch as some protesters threw mud and objects.

The king engaged several, even embraced them.

Images showed dirt on the faces and clothes of the king, queen and accompanying officials, who held umbrellas over the monarch as they left.

Dirt on the face of a queen holding a woman's hands while talking to her — Queen Letizia was also covered in mud (EPA)

Civil Guards and mounted officers were later seen trying to disperse the angry crowd.

It comes after residents criticized local authorities for their response to the catastrophic flooding.

Juan Bordera, a member of the Valencian parliament, called the king’s visit “a very bad decision.”

The authorities “didn’t heed any warnings”, Mr Bordera told the BBC.

“It is logical that people are outraged, it is logical that people did not understand why this visit is so urgent,” he added.

In a post on X, the president of Valencia’s parliament, Carlos Mason, said he understood the public’s anger and praised the king’s “exemplary” response.

On Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez ordered the deployment of 10,000 more troops, police and civil guards to the area.

A woman shouts in the crowd — More than 60 deaths are reported in the town of Paiporta (Getty Images)

According to him, this deployment was the largest in peacetime in Spain. But he added that he was aware that the response was “inadequate” and acknowledged “serious problems and shortcomings”.

The flooding began on Tuesday after a period of intense rain. Floodwaters quickly destroyed bridges and covered cities with thick mud.

Many communities have been cut off, leaving them without access to water, food, electricity and other basic services.

A woman walks down a street full of dirt and debris from houses after heavy rain and flooding — Thousands of people with mops, buckets and brooms went to the worst affected areas (Getty Images).

By Saturday, the death toll from the floods had risen to 211, with many still missing.

Almost all of the confirmed deaths were in the Valencia region on the Mediterranean coast.

Some areas were particularly devastated. Authorities in the town of Paiport, which the royal couple visited today, reported at least 62 deaths.

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