Lisbon’s Gloria Funicular Tragedy: Death and Destruction in the Heart of the City
The first light over Lisbon revealed the shattered remains of the Gloria funicular, its distinctive yellow carriages in ruins after it derailed and crashed on Wednesday killing at least 15 people and injuring 23.
A Historic Cable Railway Turned Fatal
Since 1885, the cable railway has carried locals and visitors up and down a few hundred meters of a steep cobbled street that links Restauradores Square, a lively plaza commemorating Portugal’s independence from Spain, to the Bairro Alto district.
Chaos and Tragedy Unfold
But on Wednesday, just as the evening rush hour was starting, one of its two cars derailed and plummeted down the street before crashing into a building, local media reported.
Footage showed frantic rescue efforts as some passengers were pulled from one of the destroyed cars while others clambered through the windows of another further down the track amid heavy smoke.
Victims and Heroes Emerged
A three-year-old boy from Germany was pulled from the debris by a police officer. The boy’s father died in the crash and his mother remains in critical condition, CNN Portugal reports.
Nation Mourns as Investigations Begin
As the scale of the catastrophe unfolds, the nation awakens on Thursday to three days of mourning declared by the government.
Local authorities say it is too early to determine the cause of the incident. However, the Lisbon Firefighters Regiment reported that a cable detached along the line, causing the funicular to lose control and crash into a neighboring building.
Condolences Pour In
Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa offered his condolences to families affected by the incident which Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas called “a tragedy of the like we’ve never seen.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also sent her condolences while Pedro Sánchez, prime minister of neighboring Spain, said he was “appalled by the terrible accident.”
Investigations and Reflection
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.
It follows another accident on the same line in May 2018, when one of the cars derailed due to flaws in the maintenance of its wheels. No one was killed in that incident.
Lisbon hosted around 8.5 million tourists last year, and long lines of people typically form to experience the Gloria’s brief journey.
Designated as a national monument, around three million passengers board its carriages every year, according to tourism officials. — CNN
