Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa offered his condolences to the families affected, labeling the event as a tragedy.
In response, the Portuguese government declared a day of national mourning, while Lisbon officials announced three days of mourning within the capital.
Incident in Lisbon:
Around 6:15 PM local time (17:15 GMT), a carriage from Lisbon’s renowned funicular electric railway derailed and crashed.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud noise followed by a tram racing down a steep slope, apparently out of control.
“It struck a building with brutal force and collapsed like a cardboard box; it had no brakes,” a witness told AFP.
Images showed the carriage overturned along the narrow road it regularly traveled, with its sides and roof partially crumpled from the impact, apparently from hitting a road bend at speed.
Local media stated that emergency crews responded swiftly, deploying 62 rescuers and 22 support vehicles to assist survivors trapped in the wreckage.
At this point, the cause of the accident is still undetermined.
The Lisbon Firefighters Regiment cited a “cable that came loose” in the funicular system as the crash cause.
At least 15 fatalities and 18 injuries, five critical, have been reported by the National Institute for Medical Emergencies.
Understanding Funicular Railways:
A funicular is a type of cable railway built to carry passengers up and down steep slopes.
Operating via two counterbalanced cars attached to the same cable, it is efficient: as one car climbs, the other descends, with the descending car’s weight helping to pull the ascending car.
Funiculars are typically found in hilly cities and tourist destinations where conventional modes of transport struggle with steep gradients.
Inaugurated in Lisbon in 1885 and electrified three decades later, the Gloria funicular can accommodate 43 passengers, both seated and standing, and is a common transport option for Lisbon’s residents.
The Location of the Incident
The crash occurred along a popular tram line in central Lisbon, which connects the downtown area around Restauradores Square to the vibrant nightlife district of Bairro Alto.
The accident took place on Rua da Gloria, a well-known street in the heart of Lisbon.
Gloria is one of three funicular lines operated by Carris, Lisbon’s municipal public transport company.
Carris stated that “all maintenance protocols have been followed,” with the last maintenance occurring in 2022, and that daily inspections are conducted.
Despite this, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais, workers had repeatedly complained about poor maintenance on the Gloria line.
Annually, the Gloria line transports approximately three million passengers, city officials have stated.
