A horror funicular crash in the heart of Lisbon has killed 17 people and left 21 injured when the tram derailed and smashed into a building – authorities confirmed that tourists are among the victims
A horror crash has left at least 17 people dead and at least 21 injured after a funicular tram derailed and ploughed into a building in Lisbon last night.
Lisbon’s Gloria Funicular – one of the Portuguese capital’s most famous attractions – crashed as horror footage caught onlookers yelling “there’s kids under there” at around 6pm on Wednesday evening. One of the trams was sent hurtling down one of the city’s hills before it smashed into a building and was left in pieces.
An investigation has been launched by the Portuguese public prosecutor’s office but the cause of the fatal collision is still not known. The identities of most of the casualties have not been revealed and tourists are among those dead and injured – it is currently not clear if any of the victims were British.
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A Portuguese brakeman who worked on the funicular – 40-year-old André Jorge Gonçalves Marques – was the first victim identified. A three-year-old German boy is among the injured and his mother is in a serious condition in hospital. His father sadly died at the tragic scene yesterday.
The railway operates two trams which run parallel to each other as one moves up the hill and the other moves down on a road with a bend. Initial reports from the disaster have suggested the funicular came loose before it crashed.
This historic funicular was opened in 1885 and each car can hold around 43 people. The Glória Funicular was electrified in 1915 and carries around three million people each year – including tourists and locals.
Where did the crash happen?
The Glória Funicular takes passengers 260metres between Lisbon’s downtown Restauradores Square to the Bairro Alto neighbourhood. The deadly crash happened near the busy Square when the tram smashed into a building as the road came to a sharp bend on Calçada da Glória.
An onlooker reported seeing one of the cars fall “from a great height” and said it quickly became “out of control” when it hurtled down the street “at full speed”.
Who was killed in the tragedy?
17 people have been confirmed dead by local authorities and 21 people injured. Portuguese officials have not shared the identities of these victims, and said they are reaching out to family members first.
Authorities confirmed foreign nationals were among the casualties but it is not known if any British tourists were there at the time. The funicular’s brakeman, the worker who helps to control the trams, was confirmed to have died. André Jorge Gonçalves Marques, 40, was a dad of two young children.
What was the cause of this horror collision?
The official cause of the deadly incident has not been confirmed by authorities. One of the system’s cables allegedly became loose along the railway route, which could have sent the tram hurtling down the street.
The country’s national transport safety authority and the company that runs the funicular service are also investigating the collision.
Carris, the Lisbon Tramways Company, said regular maintenance – usually carried out every four years – was last completed in 2022. One of the unions representing its employees has however voiced concerns about a lack of maintenance, which Carris has denied.
How does the funicular operate?
The yellow-and-white streetcar, which is known as Elevador da Gloria and goes up and down a steep downtown hill in tandem with one going the opposite way. This system operates two cars which are powered by electric motors.
The cars are attached to the opposite ends of a haulage cable, meaning as one moved downhill the weight lifts the other car up. These funiculars run each day and travel every 10 minutes in peak hours or every 15 minutes in quieter times.