At least 17 people have been confirmed dead and 21 others injured after a popular hillside funicular railway derailed in Lisbon, Portugal, on Wednesday evening.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the tragedy, which has cast a dark cloud over the capital city.
Flags flew at half-mast on Thursday as rescue workers combed through the wreckage of the Gloria funicular, one of Lisbon’s most iconic tourist attractions. Footage from the scene showed the mangled remains of the yellow tram-like car lying against a building after coming off the tracks, just metres away from its twin car at the base of the hill.
According to Margarida Martins, head of the city’s emergency services, 38 people were involved in the crash.
“Fifteen died at the scene while two more died overnight in hospital,” she said.
The injured included both locals and foreigners: four Portuguese, two Germans, two Spanish, one Korean, one Cape Verdean, one Canadian, one Italian, one French, one Swiss and one Moroccan. The German foreign ministry later confirmed that some of its citizens were among the victims.
Witnesses and locals described the accident as both shocking and heartbreaking. Eliane Chaves, a Brazilian who has lived in Lisbon for 20 years, broke down in tears as she spoke to reporters.
“It is truly sad,” she said. “People say that it was negligence but it was not negligence. They supervise it thoroughly. It was an accident, just like a plane or car accident can happen.”
However, questions about safety protocols quickly emerged. Manuel Leal, leader of the Fectrans union, said workers had previously raised concerns about the funicular’s cable tension.
“Workers on the Gloria railway had complained about problems with the haulage cable tension that made braking difficult,” he told local television. “But it is too early to say if that was the cause of the crash.”
The municipal transport company Carris, which operates the Gloria line, insisted in a statement that “all maintenance protocols have been carried out,” pointing to weekly and monthly checks as well as daily inspections.
Initial investigations suggest that the car coming down the 265-metre slope lost control after the haulage cable apparently snapped. Without braking power, it derailed on a bend and slammed into a corner building. The second car at the bottom of the line jolted back slightly but was undamaged. Video footage showed terrified passengers leaping out of its windows.
The Gloria funicular, first opened in 1885, connects Lisbon’s downtown Restauradores Square with Bairro Alto, the city’s bustling nightlife district. It carries about three million passengers annually, according to town hall data.
Local media reported that a German family-of-three was among those affected. A three-year-old child sustained minor injuries, while the father died and the mother was seriously hurt.
