At least 15 killed as Lisbon's iconic funicular railway car derails

LISBON: At least 15 people were killed and 18 others injured on Wednesday when Lisbon’s Gloria funicular railway car, a popular tourist attraction and one of the city’s symbols, derailed and crashed, an emergency medical service spokesperson said.

Authorities did not identify the victims or disclose their nationalities, but confirmed that some foreign nationals were among the dead. Five people were reported to be gravely injured, the spokesperson added.

“It’s a tragic day for our city … Lisbon is in mourning, it is a tragic, tragic incident,” said Carlos Moedas, the mayor of the Portuguese capital.

Footage from the site showed the destroyed yellow tram-like funicular, which carries passengers up and down a steep hillside in Lisbon. Emergency workers were seen pulling people from the wreckage.

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa lamented the accident in a statement, expressing hope that authorities would soon determine the cause of the crash.

Police investigators inspected the site, while the prosecutor general’s office announced it would open a formal investigation, as is customary in public transport accidents.

The line, which opened in 1885, connects Lisbon’s downtown area near Restauradores Square with the Bairro Alto (Upper Quarter), known for its vibrant nightlife.

It is one of three funicular lines operated by the municipal public transport company Carris, serving both tourists and residents.

Carris said in a statement that “all maintenance protocols have been carried out”, including monthly and weekly programmes and daily inspections.

The Gloria line transports around 3 million passengers annually, according to Lisbon’s town hall.

Its two cars, each capable of carrying about 40 passengers, are attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable, with traction provided by electric motors on both cars.

The car at the bottom of the line appeared to be undamaged. Still, the video aired by CNN Portugal showed it jolting violently when the other one derailed, with several passengers jumping out of its windows and people shouting.

Portugal, and Lisbon in particular, has experienced a tourism boom in the past decade, with visitors crowding the popular downtown area during the summer months.