A British grandmother has died trying to save her 10-year-old granddaughter after the child got into difficulty in the sea at a popular Menorca beach. The woman’s husband also entered the water during the desperate rescue attempt and suffered injuries, while the girl and her mother received medical attention after the ordeal.

The tragedy happened at Cavalleria beach, on the north coast of Menorca, shortly before 01:00pm on Wednesday, October 28. The family had been enjoying a holiday on the Balearic island and were due to return home the following day. 

Inflatable boat capsizes in the sea

According to local reports, the 10-year-old girl had gone out into the water in an inflatable boat but was unable to make her way back to shore. The boat overturned, and the current carried her towards a rocky section of the coastline. Her grandparents entered the water to try to reach her. The girl’s mother also joined the rescue attempt as the situation unfolded.

The grandfather suffered cuts after coming into contact with rocks during the incident. He eventually managed to bring his wife’s body back to the shore, but she could not be saved. Other beachgoers also tried to help. According to Menorca.info, some used the rope marking the boundary of the dunes to help those involved in the rescue get closer to land. The child survived, but she and her mother were left suffering from severe anxiety following the incident. Both received medical attention at the scene. 

Emergency crews rushed to Cavalleria

The emergency call was made at around 12.30pm, prompting a response from the Guardia Civil, Es Mercadal Local Police, firefighters from Ciutadella and medical teams from the 061 emergency service. The firefighters approached the beach by land, while a Red Cross boat based in Fornells also took part in the response.

According to Menorca al Dia, the advanced life-support ambulance could not reach the point where the woman’s body was located, meaning medical staff had to walk across the beach to get there. By the time they reached her, she had already died. The Guardia Civil has taken charge of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the drowning. 

No lifeguards on duty at the beach

One detail highlighted in local coverage is that Cavalleria beach no longer had a lifeguard service when the incident happened. The seasonal surveillance and rescue service had ended on October 15, almost two weeks before the drowning. Cavalleria is known for its natural setting and clear water, attracting visitors to the northern coast of Menorca. However, conditions at sea can change, and inflatable boats can be difficult to control when currents or waves push them away from the shore.

Visitors should check local conditions before entering the water, pay attention to currents and waves, and avoid going further out than they can safely manage. Anyone using an inflatable boat should also be aware that it may not remain close to the shore, even when the sea appears manageable. For the family, what began as a holiday in Menorca ended in tragedy just one day before they were due to leave the island. The grandmother’s death is now being investigated by the Guardia Civil.

Brits living in Spain have a new bank to weigh up as Monzo launches here, with free accounts and a 4 per cent savings pot. Whether it could replace your current one is another matter, with some small print to check first.

Monzo has opened accounts to the public in Spain

Monzo, the British app-only bank used by around 16 million people in the UK, started opening accounts to the public in Spain on Wednesday October 28. Until now, access has been limited to people on a waiting list that opened in May. 

There are five types of accounts: personal, joint, children’s (for ages six to 17), business and a basic account, all run through one app and described by Monzo as free. It also says its personal accounts carry no foreign exchange charges, with purchases abroad converted at the Mastercard rate. 

Joint accounts need both holders to have a Monzo account, while the children’s version needs a parent or guardian with their own. The business account is for autónomos and limited companies, which could matter to self-employed Brits, and Monzo says it already has one million business customers in the UK. Its Spanish site is also available in English.

The bank has opened offices in Barcelona and Madrid and had hired more than 50 staff by May. Its Spain boss, former Western Union and N26 executive Francisco Sierra, called the launch “a huge milestone for Monzo” and said the bank has “big ambitions here”. 

It’s entering a busy market, up against Revolut, N26 and Santander’s online bank Openbank. Monzo’s own research claims close to 60 per cent of Spaniards have been caught out by unexpected bank fees, which helps explain its pitch of free accounts.

Why the British bank is arriving through Ireland

Monzo’s British banking licence doesn’t cover the EU after Brexit, so the company claimed a European one through Ireland in December 2025. It launched there in April this year, which makes Spain its second EU market. 

In Spain, customers are served by Monzo Bank Europe DAC, a branch registered with the Banco de España. That matters for your money as deposits are protected by Ireland’s guarantee scheme up to €100,000 per customer, and not by the UK scheme that backs Monzo’s British accounts.

That isn’t unusual, though. Revolut’s Spanish accounts are currently covered by Lithuania’s scheme up to the same €100,000, and the cover could move to France if the company shifts its Spanish customers to its new French bank. 

Can British residents open an account?

Monzo’s launch announcement doesn’t mention foreigners at all, so the answer has to come from the small print. Its Spanish site says the basic account is for people who live in Spain, are 18 or over and don’t already have a payment account here, unless one is about to close. That would suggest that anyone living in Spain could open an account. 

Monzo’s help page then spells out what ID counts. Spaniards need a DNI (national identity card), other EU nationals can use their own ID card or passport, and nationals of non-EU countries can use a TIE (foreigner identity card) or passport. That would appear to cover Brits living here legally, although British residents aren’t explicitly named. 

To move up to a full personal account, the same page says you must declare Spanish tax residence and provide a NIF (Spanish tax number), which foreign residents normally have in the form of their NIE (foreigner identity number).

Anyone who owns a home in Spain but lives in the UK looks to be out of luck for now, as the accounts are only described for people living in the country and using it as their main residence.

The 4 per cent savings pot is the main attraction

Monzo’s savings pot pays 4 per cent a year (TAE, the Spanish equivalent of AER) for 12 months on the first €5,000, as long as it’s opened before Thursday December 31. After that, the rate drops to 2.50 per cent on balances of up to €100,000. Interest is paid monthly, and the pot needs a Monzo current account alongside it, which pays nothing. 

Savings interest is taxable in Spain, with 19 per cent withheld at source. One Spanish finance site worked out that €5,000 would earn about €196.50 before tax, which is roughly €159 after it. The standard rate is also variable, although Monzo has to give at least a month’s notice before cutting it.

What’s still unclear before you switch

Monzo’s website says the accounts come with a Spanish bank account number (IBAN) and work with Bizum, the mobile payment app that’s now spreading into Spanish shops. However, a launch-day review on Finect said the Spanish IBAN is still planned for this autumn and that wages can’t yet be paid in. The same review and others also report limits on free cash withdrawals, so it’s worth checking the fees document in the app. Finect also notes that the contract can be cancelled within 14 days of opening.

Nor is it clear whether a Spanish Monzo account can be linked to a British one, as the help pages don’t say.

So if you’re thinking of switching, open the app to see what Monzo asks of you, and keep your current bank open until your wages, bills and Bizum payments are definitely working.

Spain’s railways are facing serious questions after the deadly collision at Urda, nine months after the Adamuz disaster killed 46 people. The latest tragedy has brought renewed attention to warnings about railway safety, demands from Adamuz victims for trains to be stopped until the network’s reliability could be guaranteed, and a controversial television appearance by Transport Minister Óscar Puente just days before the new crash.

The disaster has also reopened debate about government financing for railway projects overseas while passengers at home face questions about the safety and reliability of their own network. The causes of the Urda collision has not yet been established, but the Spanish people want answers.

Victims had already warned about railway safety

In July, the Association of Victims of the Adamuz Derailment formally asked the Transport Ministry, rail infrastructure manager Adif and the Spanish Railway Safety Agency (AESF) to suspend rail traffic until the system’s safety and reliability could be guaranteed. The request followed a warning from the Railway Accident Investigation Commission (CIAF) that existing arrangements did not include a system specifically designed to detect rail breaks. The victims wanted traffic halted until the necessary technical measures and safety assurances were in place.

The request was made months before the Urda collision. It does not, however, establish that it was the same issue that caused both disasters. The investigation into Adamuz also raised questions about how railway defects were assessed. In September, Adif defended its maintenance procedures, saying the irregularity detected at the site in October 2025 remained within safety tolerance and did not require intervention.

That was Adif’s assessment of the specific defect, not a blanket certification that every part of Spain’s rail network was risk-free. The evidence shows that safety concerns had been raised before the Urda Collision, but the cause of the latest collision must first be be established by investigators.

Puente’s joke about Renfe sparks anger

The timing of Puente’s television appearance could not have been more poorly timed and has added to the anger of current and past rail victims. On October 21, the minister appeared on Cara al Show, presented by Marc Giró on laSexta channel. In a promotional sketch of Spain’s rail services, a lift stopped working and an announcement said the delay was caused by a technical fault. Puente replied: “Good grief. As if we didn’t have enough problems with Renfe already.” The sketch ended with the participants dancing, and Puente shared the clip on social media with the caption: “If I survive this…”

Even though the joke was made before the Urda collision, the Adamuz crash had already happened. Forty-six people had died in January, and survivors and families were still dealing with the consequences. Mario Samper, president of the Association of Victims of the Adamuz Derailment and himself a survivor, condemned the sketch. He said it was unacceptable for the minister to joke about Renfe’s problems while 46 people had died and families had been devastated. The association called for Puente to leave office, describing his behaviour as insensitive.

Comments that incriminate

His earlier comments about the state of Spain’s railways have also resurfaced. Speaking in Congress in September 2024, Puente declared that “Spain’s railways are living the best moment in their history”,pointing to record passenger numbers and improvements in services. He acknowledged that the network still had shortcomings, but maintained that the overall service had never been better. Following the latest disaster, those words have taken on a different significance for critics questioning the state of the country’s rail infrastructure.

To add to the outrage the minister’s handling of questions after the Urda collision has added to the controversy. During a press conference on October 28, Puente told reporters: “This is not an interrogation and only I will talk.” His response added to the frustration surrounding the government’s handling of the disaster, with journalists seeking answers about the collision and railway safety and Puentes trying to silence reporters. Critics argue that his remarks and his response to questioning have done little to reassure victims and passengers who want clear answers.

More than €750 million for Moroccan trains

The government’s railway financing abroad has also become part of the debate about priorities and public money. In February 2025, Spain announced financing of more than €750 million for Morocco to buy 40 intercity trains from Spanish manufacturer CAF. The agreement was made through the Fund for the Internationalisation of Companies (FIEM), with financing backed by a sovereign guarantee from Morocco. There were also earlier loans for rail projects in Morocco and Uzbekistan. In 2019, up to €190 million for Casablanca tram projects and €57.5 million for Uzbekistan trains and equipment were approved as repayable loans. These were intended to support overseas contracts for companies operating in or from Spain, rather than grants handed over without repayment.

And even though these are loans, not grants, the spending still raises questions about the government’s priorities. The government has chosen to use public financing to help Spanish businesses secure railway contracts abroad. After two major rail disasters, passengers and taxpayers can reasonably ask how that sits alongside the investment, maintenance and safety measures needed at home. The Moroccan train contract also has an economic purpose, supporting work for CAF’s Spanish factories. It would therefore be misleading to describe the entire sum as money simply given away or to assume it could automatically be transferred to domestic rail maintenance. The question is whether the government is doing enough on both fronts.

Questions the government must answer

Urda’s cause remains under investigation, and of course no conclusion should be drawn before the evidence is established. But the sequence of events raises serious questions that go beyond one collision or one television appearance. Victims of Adamuz had already asked for railway traffic to be suspended until safety could be guaranteed they also had asked for the findings of the cause of the crash to be made public, something that the government has refused to do. Investigators had highlighted a gap in rail-break detection, while Adif maintained that the defect identified at the Adamuz site had remained within accepted safety limits. Now another catastrophic collision has occurred, and investigators must determine exactly why. 

The government will need to answer questions about safety warnings, maintenance decisions, oversight and the measures taken after Adamuz. For passengers, the immediate priority is to establish what happened at Urda, publish the findings and act on any safety deficiencies investigators identify. For families still grieving, and for the millions who depend on Spain’s railways, assurances alone will not be enough they want the current government gone and someone to be held accountable for these tragic and preventable deaths.