Portugal is in mourning after 16 people were killed and 21 injured when a funicular railway car derailed and crashed on the streets of Lisbon. Witnesses told local media the car appeared out of control as it sped downhill shortly after 6pm during evening rush hour on Wednesday.
Named the Elevador da Glória, the yellow-and-white railway cars are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Lisbon, and date back to the 1800s. Some foreign nationals are among the dead from Wednesday’s derailment but emergency services have not identified the victims or disclosed their nationalities.
First opened in 1885 and electrified in 1915, the Glória is one of three funicular lines run by Lisbon municipal transport company, Carris.
The Glória system is made up of two streetcars running in parallel and hauled by steel cables: so as one descends, its weight pulls the other uphill. Witnesses told local media that they saw one of the streetcars careening down the hill, before crashing into a building where the road bends.
Designated a national monument, the Elevador da Glória carries about 3 million passengers a year.
It takes passengers on a short but steep ride of about 850ft (260 metres), and connects Lisbon’s downtown Restauradores Square with the Bairro Alto – or Upper Quarter – a neighbourhood known for its vibrant nightlife.
Tourists often queue in long lines for the three-minute journey, which offers sweeping views of the city and a chance to ride one of Lisbon’s century-old streetcars along the cobbled streets.
The line is also used daily by local residents to navigate the capital’s steep hills.
Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, offered condolences to families of the victims, while Lisbon’s mayor, Carlos Moedas, said the city was in mourning. “It’s a tragedy of the like we’ve never seen,” he said.
