Spanish King Felipe and Queen Letizia were pelted with mud and eggs as they visited the Valencia region where over 200 people died in a devastating flood.
The angry mob chanted slogans of "murderer" against the king as he visited hard-hit Paiporta, just outside of Valencia city, along with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and regional governor Carlos Mazon, where locals have accused authorities of a lax response to the disaster, reported CNN.
After posing for a photo, the crowd began hurling insults at the king, Sanchez, and Mazon. As the crowd surged forward, the security opened umbrellas to try and protect them from projectiles.
Later, King Felipe and Queen Letizia were seen consoling members of the crowd with mud on their faces and clothes. One resident confronted Felipe but remained calm and lowered his umbrella to listen to him as police struggled to control those gathered. The Queen also spoke with furious residents and was seen holding her head in her hands in apparent shock.
The Royal Family's social media channel later released a video showing the king and queen embracing the distraught residents. One man fell into the king's arms while weeping, and in another shot, the King was seen hugging two women.
Over 200 people have lost their lives in the deadly floods that have hit Spain in decades. Search and rescue operations are still underway in the country through underground car parks and tunnels in the hope of finding survivors and recovering bodies.
The anger of the residents was largely directed at Mazon and Sanchez, who left early even as the king insisted on staying on despite the chaos.
"Where is Sánchez?" the crowd chanted after the PM left the venue.
“I’m just 16,” one boy named Pau told BBC as he teared up, adding “We’re helping – and the leaders do nothing. People are still dying. I can’t stand this anymore.”
Another woman said: “They left us to die. We’ve lost everything: our businesses, our homes, our dreams.”
Paiporta mayor, Maribel Albalat said she was "shocked" by the violence, but added that she understood "the frustration and desperation of the people".