Lisbon: At least 15 people were killed and 18 others injured on Wednesday when one of Lisbon’s most iconic funicular railway cars derailed and crashed, emergency officials confirmed.
The Gloria funicular, a landmark of the Portuguese capital and a popular tourist attraction, was carrying passengers when tragedy struck along its steep route between Restauradores Square and the Bairro Alto district.
Authorities have not yet released the identities or nationalities of the victims, though officials confirmed that some foreign nationals were among the dead. Of the 18 people injured, five remain in critical condition.
Emergency medical teams and firefighters were deployed rapidly to the site, where chaotic scenes unfolded as passengers scrambled to escape.
The Gloria line, inaugurated in 1885, is one of Lisbon’s three funicular systems operated by the municipal transport company Carris. Linking the bustling downtown with Bairro Alto, a district famed for its nightlife, the funicular has long been both a commuter lifeline and a tourist attraction, transporting around 3 million passengers annually.
Each of its two cars can carry about 40 people, operating on a counterbalanced system connected by a central haulage cable and powered by electric motors. While Carris stressed in a statement that all maintenance protocols had been strictly followed, including daily inspections and weekly and monthly servicing, investigators are now working to determine the cause of the derailment.
The accident casts a shadow over Lisbon at a time when Portugal is experiencing record levels of tourism. The Gloria funicular, photographed daily by visitors, has become a symbol of the city’s charm and history. Summer months typically see heavy tourist traffic in the downtown area where the line begins.
Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it was in contact with Portuguese authorities and ready to provide consular assistance if any British nationals were among the victims.
The United Kingdom remains Portugal’s largest source of international visitors, followed by Germany, Spain, and the United States.
Lisbon city hall said investigators, in coordination with transport regulators, will assess technical, operational, and structural aspects of the accident. The second car on the line, which remained intact, will also be examined to determine whether mechanical failure or human error played a role.
