The king and queen of Spain threw mud in flood-hit Valencia

The King and Queen of Spain were pelted with mud and other objects by angry protesters during a visit to flood-hit Valencia.

Shouts of “murderer” and “shame” were directed at the royal couple, Spain’s prime minister and other leaders as they marched through the town of Paiporta – one of the hardest hit in the region.

With mud on their faces and clothes, King Felipe and Queen Letizia were later seen comforting members of the crowd.

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

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

Footage showed the king making his way down a pedestrian street, before his bodyguards and police were overwhelmed by the crowd of protesters, shouting and shouting.

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

The king became involved with several people, and even embraced them.

The pictures showed mud on the face and clothes of the king, queen and their entourage, who were holding umbrellas over the king as he left.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the head of the Valencian parliament, Carlos Mazón, joined the royal couple on the tour, but were quickly ushered out as the crowd grew.

Spanish media reported that objects were thrown at Sánchez, while footage confirmed by the BBC appeared to show stones being thrown at his car as he was being driven away.

After he left, the crowd shouted: “Where is Sánchez?”

“I’m only 16 years old,” another boy, Pau, told the BBC through tears. “We help – and the leaders do nothing. People are still dying. I can’t stand this anymore.”

Another woman said: “They left us to die.” We lost everything: our businesses, our homes, our dreams.”

State guards and mounted police were later seen trying to disperse the angry crowd.

The royal delegation had intended to continue on to Chiva, another town in Valencia province badly hit by floods, but that visit has been postponed.

The king later said he understood the protesters’ “anger and frustration” in a video posted on the royal family’s Instagram account.

The mayor of Paiporta, Maribel Albalat, told the BBC that she was shocked by the violence, but understood the “frustration and despair of the people”.

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

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

“It is reasonable that people are angry, it is reasonable that people did not understand why this trip is so urgent,” he added.

On Saturday, Sánchez ordered another 10,000 soldiers, police and civil guards to the area.

He said the migration of workers to Spain is large in peacetime. But he added that he knew the response was “inadequate” and acknowledged “big problems and shortcomings”.

The flooding started on Tuesday, following a period of heavy rain. Floodwaters cause rapid collapse of bridges and cover cities in thick mud.

Many communities were closed, left without water, food, electricity and other basic services.

On Sunday, the death toll from the floods rose to 217, with many more feared missing.

Almost all of the confirmed deaths so far have been in the Valencia region on the Mediterranean coast.

Some areas have been severely damaged. Authorities in Paiporta, the town visited today by the royal delegation, reported at least 62 deaths.

Spain’s weather agency AEMET issued its highest warning level on Sunday for parts of southern Valencia – including the towns of Alzira, Cullera and Gandia.

Strong storms are forecast to pass through the area on Tuesday, the agency said, with 90mm (3.45 inches) of rain expected.

With additional reporting from Mimi Swaby