The authorities have not disseminated identities or nationalities of the victims, but among the deceased there are Portuguese and foreigners citizens.
Miami, United States. – At least 15 people died and 18 were injured – five of them seriously – when the funicular historical of the glory of Lisbon was derailed and crashed on Wednesday in the center of the Portuguese capital, according to reports of international media based on preliminary reports of the emergency services of Lisbon.
The mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, decreed three days of mourning and expressed his condolences. “I extend my most felt condolences to all the families and friends of the victims. Lisbon is mourning,” he wrote in X. Earlier, before the press, he described the day as “tragic” for the city, according to Reuters.
The authorities have not disseminated identities or nationalities of the victims, but among the deceased there are Portuguese and foreign citizens, according to the BBC. Reuters, citing emergency services, added that a minor is counted among mild.
The accident occurred around 18:05 (local time). Extended images show the traditional yellow car dusk and practically destroyed, while rescue teams extracted people from the remains.
The cause of the incident has not been established. Police inspect the place and the Prosecutor’s Office will open a formal investigation, as usual in public transport accidents, Reuters reported. The BBC said that, according to the local newspaper Observerthe accident would have occurred after a cable was released, although the authorities stressed that it is premature to determine the origin of the accident.
The municipal company Carris, operator of the funicular, said in a statement that “all maintenance protocols have been met”, including weekly and monthly programs and daily reviews, according to Reuters.
The elevator of Glory – in 1885 and electrified three decades later – connects the Plaza de los Restauradores with the Alto neighborhood on a journey of about three minutes and has capacity for 43 passengers. It is one of the three funicular managed by Carris and transports around three million people a year, according to local mayor’s data.
The incident occurred in one of the most busy areas by residents and visitors, in the middle of high season for Lisbon tourism, said Reuters and the BBC.
