Spain Archives - WPTF-AM

Spain’s king stood his ground under a mud barrage. What will the iconic moment mean for his reign?

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s royals, prime minister and other politicians were greeted by crowds hurling mud and debris on Sunday when they tried to visit Paiporta, where over 60 people perished. It was their first visit to the area devastated by floods last week. Felipe VI repeatedly insisted that his bodyguards let him get close to talk to the angry residents. He was praised by many for his composure. But political experts also say the monarch may have given the impression that he actually has a say in the management of a crisis that doesn’t look like it will be resolved anytime soon.… Continue Reading

Spain flood survivors hurl mud at the royals and top government officials

PAIPORTA, Spain (AP) — A crowd of enraged flood survivors pelted the Spanish royal couple with mud and rocks during their first visit to the epicenter of the nation’s deadliest natural disaster in living memory. Officials rushed Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez from the scene soon after his contingent started to walk the mud-covered streets. Over 60 people perished in the town of Paiporta and thousands of lives were shattered.‘ Get out! Get out!’ and ‘Killers!’ the crowd shouted, among other insults. Bodyguards opened umbrellas to protect the royals and officials from the barrage of muck. Police had to step in, with some officers on horseback, to keep back the crowd of several dozen who hurled mud and wielded shovels and poles threateningly.… Continue Reading

Crashing waves in a hilltop village, a night of terror from Spain’s floods

CHIVA, Spain (AP) — Irene Cuevas says she has the roar of the waves produced by a flash flood burned into her memory. The resident of Chiva spent a night of terror when the gorge of her village in eastern Spain quickly filled with rushing water and unleashed a wave of death and destruction. She says that it was terrifying to hear the crashing waves just below her first-floor balcony during that fateful night. Chiva has so far accounted for seven of the over 200 dead from Spain’s worst natural disaster in living memory.… Continue Reading

‘It is all in ruins.’ The shattered lives of Paiporta at the epicenter of Spain’s floods

PAIPORTA, Spain (AP) — Four days have passed since tsunami-like floods swept through the southern outskirts of Valencia city, covering many communities with sticky, thick mud. The clean-up task ahead remains gargantuan, and the hunt for bodies continues. Authorities say at least 62 people died in Paiporta of the 213 confirmed deaths from flash floods in Spain on Tuesday and Wednesday. The majority of those deaths happened in the eastern region of Valencia. Local media have labeled Paiporta the “ground zero” of the floods, where many streets remain impassable to all vehicles but bulldozers, stacked as they are with piles of sodden furniture and household items and countless wrecked cars.… Continue Reading