Lisbon in mourning as deadly funicular crash claims 15 lives
Portugal’s emergency medical authority reported that five of the injured are in critical condition, while the other 13, including a child, suffered minor wounds.
At least 15 people have died and 18 others were injured after Lisbon’s iconic Gloria funicular derailed and crashed on Wednesday evening, authorities confirmed.
Emergency services said the accident occurred near Avenida da Liberdade around 18:05, leaving the bright yellow carriage destroyed and passengers trapped before rescuers freed them.
Portugal’s emergency medical authority reported that five of the injured are in critical condition, while the other 13, including a child, suffered minor wounds.
The nationalities of some of the victims remain unknown, though officials confirmed that foreigners were among those killed.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed his “sympathy and solidarity with the families affected by this tragedy,” while Lisbon’s mayor, Carlos Moedas, described the crash as a “tragic moment for the city” and declared the capital “in mourning.”
Footage circulating on social media showed the overturned carriage crushed against a building, with smoke rising as people fled the area in panic. Witnesses described the scene as terrifying, saying the vehicle appeared to lose control on the steep slope.
One eyewitness, Teresa d’Avó, told Observador newspaper: “We all started running away because we thought [the carriage] was going to hit the one below. But it fell around the bend and crashed into a building.” Another witness told SIC television that the carriage sped down the hill “at full speed” before smashing into a building with “brutal force.”
Emergency responders said the cause of the crash remains under investigation. However, local newspaper Observador reported that a loose cable may have caused the carriage to lose control before colliding with the building.
Carris, the company that operates the funicular, announced that it had launched an internal investigation, stressing that “all maintenance protocols” had been followed.
The tragedy has prompted condolences from across Europe. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent her sympathies to the victims’ families, while Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was “appalled by the terrible accident.”
The Gloria funicular, which opened in 1885 and was electrified in the early 20th century, is one of Lisbon’s most famous tourist attractions.
The short rail line stretches 275 meters from Restauradores Square up to Bairro Alto, one of the city’s most visited districts. The funicular is not only an everyday transport system for residents but also a major draw for visitors during the busy summer season.
