Carlos Mazon resigned in November 2025 after a year of intense scrutiny over his whereabouts on the day of the disaster, whose management is primarily a regional responsibility under Spain's decentralised political system.

Critics noted that on the day of the floods, Mazon spent several hours having lunch with a journalist while his government delayed sending mobile alerts to warn residents.

Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra, who is investigating the regional government's response, said there is evidence that Mazon showed "absolute negligence in the coordination and management" of the floods.

Mazon's decision to "retreat to a private dining room when faced with an extremely serious situation" was "a decisive factor in the deadly human toll", she added in her ruling.

The judge referred the case to the Superior Court of Justice of Valencia, which has the authority to prosecute Mazon because he retains legal protections as a member of the regional parliament.

The higher court must now decide whether to put Mazon, a member of the conservative Popular Party (PP), on trial as recommended by the lower court, continue investigating, or drop the case.

In addition to the 230 deaths, thousands of homes were damaged across the Mediterranean region when a year's worth of rain fell in just a few hours on Oct. 29, 2024.

Families of victims of Spain's deadliest natural disaster in a generation expressed outrage at a state funeral a year later, shouting "murderer" and "coward" as Mazon arrived.