Queen Letizia of Spain shed a tear as she met with those affected by flash floods in Valencia today.
The royal, 52, greeted members of the Portuguese rescue team after their arrival to visit the flood control station in Paiporta, eastern Spain.
More than 200 people have died in Tuesday’s floods and hopes of finding survivors have diminished for five days.
The city of Chiva received almost a year’s worth of rainfall in a single day. Torrents of cloudy water destroyed cities and infrastructure in the worst disaster of its kind to hit Spain in decades.
Letizia appeared to cry while talking to a woman in Paiporta, while the Queen put her hands around her shoulders.
Queen Letizia appeared to cry while speaking with a woman in Paiporta today
Letizia’s tears also came after she was booed by an angry crowd as she and her husband, King Felipe, were splashed with mud.
The mother of two children solemnly met with the president of the Valencian Community, Carlos Mazón, the councilor Pilar Bernabé and the mayor of Paiporta, Maribel Albalat.
He visited a local command center in Paiporta with Felipe, as they were photographed listening to the Spanish Civil Guard talk about the areas most affected by the flash floods.
The royal couple traveled to Paiporta and Chiva – the two towns most affected by the torrential rainfall – to pay tribute to the victims and offer their condolences to those affected by the floods.
However, King Philip was booed and had mud thrown at him by angry locals during his visit.
The monarch was pelted with mud and objects such as drink cans by angry survivors of the deadly floods as he walked through muddy streets.
Booers also took aim at Letizia, as footage showed the Queen with mud on her face as she was helped walk through busy streets.
She was dressed in practical clothing, a black waterproof jacket and a navy blue blouse that she tucked into tight black pants.
The mother-of-two wore her brown locks down and paired her ensemble with a pair of comfortable sneakers and silver earrings.
The hecklers targeted Letizia, as footage shows the Queen with mud on her face as they helped her walk through the busy streets.
Queen Letizia greets Portuguese rescuers after their arrival at the flood control station in Paiporta
Kings Felipe and Letizia listen to the authorities and emergency services personnel
Angry residents of Paiporta shout during the visit of King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain to the city.
King Philip of Spain was booed and pelted with mud by angry locals during his visit to Valencia, where more than 200 people died in devastating floods.
A photograph provided by the Spanish Royal Family shows Queen Letizia of Spain speaking with the mayor of Paiporta, Maribel Albalat, as she arrives to visit the flood control station in Valencia, eastern Spain, on November 3, 2024.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain shake hands with authorities and emergency service personnel outside a command center as they visit areas affected by DANA, following heavy rain that caused flooding, in Paiporta, near Valencia, Spain, on November 3, 2024.
Letizia speaks today with those affected by the floods in Valencia
The crowd shouted insults at Felipe and government officials during Sunday’s visit, and police had to intervene with officers on horseback to contain the crowd of several dozen.
Almost all of the deaths have occurred in the Valencia region, where thousands of security and emergency services frantically cleared debris and mud in search of bodies.
Describing “the worst natural disaster in the recent history of our country”, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said it was the second deadliest flood in Europe this century.
The government had accepted the Valencia region leader’s request for 5,000 more soldiers and informed Sánchez of a new deployment of 5,000 police and civil guards, the prime minister said.
Spain was carrying out its largest peacetime deployment of military personnel and security forces, he added.
Authorities in the Valencian Community have restricted access to roads for two days to allow emergency services to carry out search, rescue and logistics operations more effectively.
With telephone and transport networks severely damaged, it is difficult to establish an accurate number of missing people.
Sanchez said electricity had been restored to 94 percent of homes affected by the power outages and about half of the cut phone lines had been repaired.
Food donations were made available to the most affected residents in Valencia
A volunteer cleans a square after the floods in Paiporta, a town especially affected by the floods
King Felipe and Queen Letizia observe with emergency services personnel in a command center
Cars piled up in a ditch at a construction site after being swept off the road by heavy flooding
The storm and floods have left carnage in their wake, and a huge clean-up operation is now underway.
Queen Letizia and King Felipe speak with authorities and emergency services personnel
Some highways have reopened, but local and regional roads look like “Swiss cheese,” meaning certain places will likely remain inaccessible by land for weeks, Transport Minister Oscar Puente told newspaper El País.
Ordinary citizens carrying food, water and cleaning equipment continued their grassroots effort Saturday to aid in the recovery.
Around 1,000 people left the Mediterranean coastal city of Valencia for nearby towns devastated by floods, according to an AFP journalist.
“There is nothing left,” Mario Silvestre, a resident of the ruined town of Chiva, told AFP when he saw the damage.
‘Politicians promise a lot. Help will come when it comes,” said the octogenarian.
Authorities have urged people to stay home to avoid road congestion that would hamper the work of emergency services.
Regional leader Carlos Mazón called the flooding “the worst moment in our history” on Saturday and presented a series of proposals to help his region recover, ranging from infrastructure to economic support.
