It is not every day that an EU country lives through a major cataclysm. In flood-hit Spain, drama piles up like cars blocking the streets. Europeans on Sunday saw shocking footage of angry crowds confronting King Felipe, shouting "murderer" at him in Paiporta, Valencia, a town badly affected by flash floods earlier this week. A mud-stained Queen Letizia was seen crying. "This is just unprecedented," a BBC reporter said, "people are picking up mud and throwing it at the king." Other footage shows the car of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez smashed by angry citizens, as they felt abandoned by the authorities. He was due to accompany the King during his visit to Paiporta but was forced to turn back after his entourage was attacked. Sánchez said the government was sending 10,000 soldiers and police to the region of Valencia, but local people said they were left on their own. “Please, the dead are still in the garages. The families are looking for their relatives and friends. Please come, we only ask for help (…) All we wanted was to be warned and we would have been saved,” yelled one resident. The King, alongside Queen Letizia, were due to visit another flood-struck area, Chiva - but this was postponed. He behaved bravely, saying he understood the anger and frustration of those hit by the flooding. |