A lawyer travelling home from work has been named among the 16 people killed when Lisbon's iconic Glória funicular derailed and crashed into a building.
Alda Matias, an attorney with the Holy House of Mercy (Santa Casa da Misericórdia), was on board with colleagues when the tram-like carriage lost control on Wednesday evening. The charity confirmed four staff members %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_0%% and two others remain in hospital. Ombudsman Paulo Sousa said the organisation was "in shock", mourning "colleagues, friends, people with whom we shared our daily %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_1%% and mission."
Former volleyball referee Pedro Manuel Alves Trindade has also been %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_2%% the dead. André Marques, the funicular's brakeman, was the first victim to be identified.
Authorities said coroners have so far identified five Portuguese, two %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_3%% and one Swiss national. Police chief Luís Neves said there is strong evidence the victims also include two Canadians, one American, one %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_4%% and one German. Local %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_5%% reported a German family was caught up in the crash; the father died at the scene, the pregnant mother is in critical condition, and their three-year-old child suffered minor injuries.
How the crash unfolded
The %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_6%% came loose, sending the upper car careering down the steep 265-metre route before it derailed on a bend and smashed into a building near the Bairro Alto district. Witnesses described "brutal" impact and scenes of panic as bystanders %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_7%% to help pull victims from the wreckage.
Lisbon's firefighters said a loose cable was the likely trigger. The operator Carris said the funicular passed a routine inspection on %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_8%% morning and insisted maintenance protocols had been followed. The wreckage began to be removed Thursday evening after on-site investigations.
Transport engineering specialists noted the Glória system, which dates to 1885 and is classed as a heritage cableway, uses two counterbalanced cars hauled by a %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_9%% cable. Experts questioned why any %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_10%% braking system did not stop or slow the descent, a key point for investigators.
National mourning and investigation
Portugal's leaders, including President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and %%UKNIP_ANCHOR_11%% Mayor Carlos Moedas, visited a growing memorial at the crash site. A national day of mourning has been declare d.
The Aircraft and Railway Accident Prevention and Investigation Office (GPIAAF) has opened a formal probe to determine the precise cause, including the condition of the haulage cable, braking systems and operational procedures.
