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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Harriette Boucher

Briton, 82, who travelled world to ride trams, was killed in Lisbon funicular crash

A 82-year-old British man has been named by police as one of the victims of the Glória funicular crash in Lisbon last week.

Andrew David Kenneth Young, from Holyhead, was among one of the 16 victims killed in the tram disaster in the Portuguese capital on Wednesday.

Mr Young, known to most as Dave, was a lifelong transport enthusiast who travelled the world to visit heritage railways and tramways.

His family said in a statement: “It is a comfort to his sons, their mother, and his brothers that his final moments were in pursuit of the hobby which gave him so much happiness.”

Mr Young was raised in Auchterarder, Perthshire and moved to Holyhead in 1980 where he had a long career as a customs officer.

Specialist officers are continuing to support his family, who have requested privacy during this difficult time.

Kayleigh Gillian Smith, 36, and William Nelson, 44, died in the funicular crash in Lisbon (Instagram)

He is among three Britons who were killed in the crash when the funicular derailed and smashed into a hotel. British couple Kayleigh Gillian Smith, 36, and her boyfriend William Nelson, 44, were named as the other two victims.

Ms Smith was a theatre director and Mr Nelson was a lecturer at Manchester’s Arden School of Theatre.

MADS Theatre in Macclesfield posted a tribute on Friday night saying: “It is with great sadness that we must acknowledge the death of Kayleigh Smith and her partner Will Nelson in the Lisbon funicular tragedy.

“Kayleigh was a valued member of our society and made considerable contributions both to MADS and to drama in the North West. It is indeed a sad loss to all of us at the theatre.”

The crash killed five Portuguese nationals, three British citizens, two Canadians, two South Koreans, one American, one French, one Swiss and one Ukrainian, and injured a further 22 people.

A No 10 spokesman said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is “deeply saddened” that three British nationals died. He said: “His thoughts are with their families and those affected by this terrible incident.”

The funicular, built in 1885, was one of the capital’s most popular tourist attractions and was packed with passengers at the time of the crash.

A preliminary report found that a cable linking the two cars on the funicular snapped. However, investigators stressed that they had not reached “valid conclusions” about the cause of the crash and would provide a full report within 45 days.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the families of three British nationals who have died following an incident in Lisbon, and are in contact with the local authorities.”

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