One of Lisbon’s most iconic tourist attractions, the Gloria funicular, derailed and crashed on Wednesday evening.
At least 15 people have been killed and 18 more injured, some critically, local authorities have said.
It is not yet clear what caused the carriage to derail.
Here’s everything we know so far:
What have authorities said?
The crash occurred at around 18:05 on Wednesday, near Lisbon’s Avenida da Liberdade, according to local authorities.
More than 60 emergency service personnel and 22 vehicles were deployed to the scene.
Officials said it was too early to determine the cause of the incident. However, Portuguese newspaper Observador reported that a cable came loose along the railway’s route, causing it to lose control and collide with a nearby building.
Images and footage from the scene the showed an overturned yellow carriage, which appeared almost entirely destroyed.
People could be seen fleeing the area on foot as smoke engulfed the cobbled street.
What do we know about the casualties?
Portugal’s emergency medical service authority said at least 15 people have been been killed and 18 others injured.
Five of those injured were in a serious condition, it said. The remaining thirteen, which included a child, sustained minor injuries.
Lisbon’s mayor, Carlos Moedas, said the victims had been taken to hospital.
Some of those killed were foreign nationals, authorities said.
Several people trapped at the scene have since been freed, the medical authority said.
Who was onboard?
The Gloria funicular can carry up to 43 passengers and is extremely popular with tourists.
It is not known how many people were onboard at the time of the collision, however.
What is the Gloria funicular and how does it work?
EPAA funicular is a type of railway system that allows travel up and down steep slopes.
In Lisbon, funiculars are among the most sought after tourist attractions. The bright yellow vehicles are a crucial means of navigating the city’s steep, cobbled streets.
The Gloria funicular – the railway on which the collision took place – was opened in 1885 and electrified three decades later.
It travels some 275m (900ft) from Restauradores, a square in the centre of Lisbon, up to the picturesque streets of Bairro Alto. The journey takes just three minutes to complete.
Unlike traditional funiculars, the two cars on the Gloria funicular are powered by electric motors.
They are attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable meaning that as one travels downhill, its weight lifts the other, allowing them to ascend and descend simultaneously.
‘Lisbon is in mourning’
Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas has declared three days of municipal mourning for the victims of the incident.
Posting on X, he said: “I extend my heartfelt condolences to all the families and friends of the victims. Lisbon is in mourning.”
Spain’s Prime Minster Pedro Sánchez said he was “appalled by the terrible accident”.
“All our affection and solidarity with the families of the victims and with the Portuguese people in this difficult moment,” he wrote in a statement on X.
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said he “deeply regrets” the “fatalities and serious injuries” caused by the crash.
In a statement, he expressed his “condolences and solidarity with the families affected by this tragedy” and hoped for clarity around the incident from authorities soon.
Pedro Bogas from Carris, the Lisbon Tramways Company, told reporters it was a “very a sad day, not just for the victims but also for their families”.
“We have strict protocols, excellent professionals for many years, and we need to get to the bottom of what happened,” he added.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X: “It is with sadness that I learned of the derailment of the famous Elevador da Glória. My condolences to the families of the victims.”
