Portugal observed a day of national mourning on Thursday after the death toll from the derailment of Lisbon’s iconic Gloria funicular rose to 17, with 21 others injured.
The accident happened on Wednesday evening when the bright yellow carriage, a familiar sight for tourists, veered off its steep tracks near Liberty Avenue and slammed into a building. Fifteen people, eight men and seven women, died on the spot, while two others succumbed to their injuries later.
Among the injured were at least 11 foreigners, including nationals of Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, South Korea, Morocco, and Cape Verde, according to emergency services. Portuguese media reported that a German man was killed, while his wife remained in critical condition and their three-year-old child suffered minor injuries.
Witnesses described the moment of impact as devastating.
“It struck the building with brutal force and collapsed like a cardboard box,” one woman told local television. Footage showed rescue crews working into the night around the mangled wreckage, while another funicular stood motionless a few metres away on the tracks.
Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas called it “a tragedy that our city has never seen.” Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said the disaster had brought “grief to families and dismay to the country,” while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered condolences to victims’ families.
Authorities immediately suspended operations of Lisbon’s three other funiculars for safety checks. Prosecutors opened an investigation, though officials insisted maintenance protocols had been followed.
“All procedures were scrupulously respected,” said Pedro Bogas, head of Carris, the city’s public transport operator. He explained that general maintenance, carried out every four years, was last completed in 2022, while intermediate servicing took place in 2024.
The Gloria funicular, which began service in 1885 and was electrified in 1915, carries up to 40 passengers at a time and is a popular way for tourists and locals to navigate Lisbon’s steep hills. It is also one of the capital’s most photographed landmarks, featured on countless postcards and souvenirs.
By Thursday, flowers had begun to pile up at the crash site as residents and visitors paid tribute to those killed.