Lisbon Catastrophe Report: Connection Lost on Fatal Subway Line
In a tragic turn of events, a cable car accident occurred in Lisbon on Wednesday evening, claiming the lives of 16 individuals and injuring 21 others. The cable car, a popular tourist attraction known as the "Elevador da GlΓ³ria," was scheduled for replacement in less than nine months.
The initial report by the investigation commission in Portugal suggests that the cable had detached from the vehicle shortly after the start of the journey. Further investigations are needed to determine the exact cause of the cable detachment.
It is suspected that the pressure air brake system, which is supposed to activate automatically in case of an emergency, either failed or was insufficient. The operator applied both the pressure air brake and the hand brake, but these measures had no effect.
The cable used in the cable car consisted of six strands, each with 36 steel wires and a fiber core. The total diameter of the cable was 32 millimeters, and the breaking load was approximately 68 tons. The cable present at the time of the accident had been in use for 337 days, exceeding its expected lifespan of 600 days.
The cable car was estimated to be traveling at 60 kilometers per hour during the crash. After 170 meters, the train derailed at a curve, colliding with a street lamp, a cast iron utility pole, tipping over, and crashing into a building.
Among the fatalities were eleven foreign nationals, including citizens from Germany, Britain, Canada, South Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine, France, and the United States. This was the first accident of this kind involving one of the three funiculars in Lisbon.
The company responsible for the maintenance and repair of the defective cable in the Elevador da GlΓ³ria in Lisbon before the accident was Carris. The cable car was scheduled to be replaced, but the accident has accelerated the process.
The "Elevador da GlΓ³ria" is a famous tourist attraction in Lisbon, transporting around three million passengers annually. The city's authorities have expressed their condolences and promised a thorough investigation into the accident. The cable car services have been suspended until further notice.
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