17 people were killed and 21 were injured in yesterday’s derailment of the Elevador da Glória cable car in one of Lisbon’s most touristy districts.
At least five of the injured are hospitalized in serious condition.
Although the causes of the accident have not yet been made known, fire service sources say the crash—which occurred shortly after 6 p.m.—was caused by “a cable coming loose,” causing the operator to lose control and crash into a building.
The head of the emergency medical service said that both Portuguese nationals and foreigners are among the victims, but was not able to specify their nationalities.
He added that there were no children among the dead.
(fyiteam)
The cable car—an iconic symbol of the city—can carry 42 passengers (half of them standing) and is a mode of transport used by 3.5 million passengers a year (mostly tourists).
It has been operating since 1885 and connects Rossio Square with the tourist districts of Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real.
The Glória system consists of two trams that run in parallel and are pulled by steel cables: as one goes down, its weight pulls the other up.
It carries passengers along a short but steep route of about 260 metres.
Tourists often queue for the three-minute ride, which offers panoramic views of the city and the chance to ride a mode of transport that has been designated a national heritage monument.
The operator is the state-owned company Carris, which said in a statement that “all maintenance protocols have been followed.”
Lisbon’s City Council suspended the operation of the city’s three cable car lines and ordered immediate inspections.
Portugal declared one day of national mourning today for the tragedy, while—besides Portuguese political leaders—condolence messages were also issued by Spanish Prime Minister P. Sánchez and European Commission President U. von der Leyen.
“It’s a tragedy that had never happened in our city,” the Mayor of Lisbon said, with eyewitnesses reporting that the accident has forever changed the sense of safety among residents and tourists.
