Spain’s Royals Return To Flood Disaster Zone For 1st Time Since Being Pelted By Mud

Spain’s royal couple returned Tuesday to area devastated by last month’s catastrophic flooding for first time since enraged survivors pelted m and top elected officials with mud on ir first visit to disaster zone.

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited town of Chiva along with a central government minister and regional leer of eastern Valencia , whom many citizens have slammed for bungling flood response .

No mud flew this time as Felipe and Letizia shook hands with people at beginning of ir tour of village. Or spectators took photos.

Chiva, a hilltop town some 30 kilometers (20 miles) to west of Valencia city, was ripped apart by a crushing wall of water that overflowed a normally dry gorge on night of Oct. 29. Two of four bridges spanning gorge were demolished and several houses were washed away.

royals, Spain’s prime minister and Valencia's leer h attempted to visit a hard-hit neighborhood of Valencia’s sourn outskirts on Nov. 3 just a few days after floods. But y h to cut it short when angry locals tossed mud and or objects on ir arrival in Paiporta.

royals withstood vitriol for half an hour and spoke to several furious residents, but y eventually h to cancel visit and postpone a subsequent stop planned for later that day in Chiva.

floods claimed a confirmed 227 lives and destroyed thousands of homes and vehicles. cleanup effort continues three weeks on.