At least 15 people died and around 18 were injured on Wednesday when Lisbon’s Gloria funicular railway car, which is popular with tourists, derailed and crashed, an emergency medical service spokesman told reporters.
Authorities would not identify the victims or disclose their nationalities, but said some foreign nationals were among the dead.
“It’s a tragic day for our city ... Lisbon is in mourning, it is a tragic, tragic incident,” Carlos Moedas, the mayor of the Portuguese capital, told reporters.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris said in a statement: “I am deeply saddened by reports of a tragic incident in Lisbon today. This is a terrible day for the city and my thoughts, and those of people across Ireland, are with the families of people who have lost their lives.
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“Ireland’s embassy in Lisbon stands ready to provide assistance.”
The tram derailed shortly after 6pm local time and crashed against a building. The cable that supports the car snapped, according to local media outlets, which also reported five of those injured in the incident were in a serious condition.
Footage from the site showed the tram-like funicular, which carries people up and down a hillside in the city, destroyed, and emergency workers pulling people out of the wreckage.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa lamented the tragic accident in a statement, expressing hope that authorities would soon establish what had caused the crash.
Police investigators were inspecting the site and the prosecutor general’s office said it would open a formal investigation, as is customary in public transport accidents.
The tram can carry as many as 43 passengers and is popular among tourists for its short trip on steep street in central Lisbon. Some three million people use it every year after it was classified as a national monument more than two decades ago.
The line, which opened in 1885, connects Lisbon’s downtown area near the Restauradores Square with the Bairro Alto (Upper Quarter), famous for its vibrant nightlife. It is operated by the municipal public transport company Carris.
Carris said in a statement that “all maintenance protocols have been carried out”, including monthly and weekly maintenance programs and daily inspections.
The funicular’s two cars are attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable with traction provided by electric motors on the cars.
The car at the bottom of the line was apparently undamaged, but user-generated video footage aired by CNN Portugal showed it jolting violently when the other one derailed and several passengers jumping out of its windows and people shouting. - Reuters/Bloomberg
