Spanish regional leader defends his handling of Valencia floods

Valencia's regional leader Carlos Mazon gestures as he appears before the regional assembly following the devastating floods on October 29 that claimed over 200 lives, in Valencia, Spain, November 15, 2024. REUTERS/Eva Manez

VALENCIA (Reuters) - The leader of Spain's Valencia region defended his handling of catastrophic floods that killed more than 200 people, saying on Friday he did everything possible in the face of a "monstrous avalanche of water that exceeded all weather forecasts".

Addressing regional lawmakers, Carlos Mazon rejected calls to resign, although he said he would not evade responsibility and sought forgiveness over last month's disaster.