Spain’s King Felipe VI visiting flood-affected areas met with angry citizens throwing mud and objects

[Anchor]

In Spain, where over 200 people have died due to a recent massive flooding, the aftermath is intense.

Citizens, angered by the authorities' complacent response, threw mud and objects at the king, who was visiting the affected areas.

A person who had been trapped in a submerged vehicle for several days has been rescued.

This is reporter Ahn Da-young.

[Report]

King Felipe VI of Spain visits a flood-affected site.

Angry citizens shout insults as they throw mud and objects.

["Murderer!"]

Security personnel try to shield him with umbrellas, but there is no way to avoid the projectiles.

["Don't protect him, you are killing us!"]

Despite the king's attempts to console, the public's anger did not subside.

[Fernando Lozano/Local Resident: "People have lost relatives, homes, jobs, and are going through a very difficult time like a disaster."]

Due to the strong backlash from citizens, the king left the site early, and all subsequent visits to other flood-affected areas were canceled.

Previously, on the 29th of October, sudden heavy rain in southeastern Spain has resulted in over 200 deaths so far.

Emergency disaster safety messages were sent to local residents only 10 hours after the heavy rain warning was issued.

It was already too late for citizens to respond effectively.

As a result, criticism is growing that the authorities' complacent response exacerbated the damage.

Amid the desperate situation, miraculous survival stories are also emerging.

A woman who was trapped in a submerged underpass for three days has been rescued.

[Martin Perez/Spanish Valencia Civil Protection Officer: "(Three days after the incident) we found a survivor in the car!"]

There are also reports of heroes, such as neighbors banding together to rescue a man who was in danger of being swept away by the strong currents.

With reports suggesting that the number of missing persons could reach into the hundreds, Spanish authorities have decided to deploy an additional 10,000 soldiers and police to the affected areas to focus on searching for survivors.

This is Ahn Da-young reporting from Paris for KBS News.