A tragic accident struck the heart of Lisbon today as the Gloria Funicular, which connects the city’s lower area to the Barrio Alto and is popular with tourists and locals alike, derailed and crashed. Official sources cited by State TV and other Portuguese media have confirmed a provisional death toll of at least 15, with approximately 20 people injured, five of them seriously. Authorities warn the number of casualties may still rise. An Italian woman is among the injured, though not seriously, according to sources from the Italian Embassy, which states it remains in contact with Portuguese authorities and the crisis unit of the Farnesina.
According to a preliminary reconstruction by firefighters, who responded in force with ambulances and civil protection units, a cable may have snapped. This caused one of the two cars to derail and fall from the highest point of the route. Another technical hypothesis for the accident’s origin is a failure of the carriage’s braking system. The wagon crashed into a building adjacent to the tracks near the lower Plaza de los Restauradores and was crushed on impact. A day of national mourning has been declared.