Lisbon funicular accident under probe by Portuguese authorities
In a tragic incident, a cable car derailed at the last second, avoiding a collision with the lower car, on a steep hillside in Lisbon on Thursday (Sep 4). The mangled wreckage of the carriage lay where it had left the track and hit a building.
The funicular railway, a popular tourist attraction, was carrying passengers when the traction cable linking the two carriages snapped before the crash. The crash caused the carriage to pick up a brutal speed and take a slight turn before hitting the building.
At least 16 people were killed in the accident, including a US citizen and five Portuguese, two South Koreans, and one Swiss national. The identities of the two Canadians, one Ukrainian, and one German cannot yet be officially confirmed.
One of the passengers in the lower car was Lisbon resident Abel Esteves, his wife, and grandson. According to reports, Mr. Esteves told his wife "We're all going to die here" during the crash. Abel Esteves and his family were among the 22 people who were injured.
The crash occurred with a loud bang, just metres from the twin carriage at the bottom of the 265-metre slope. The Prosecutor General's office has identified the bodies of the victims, but the name of the US-American victim killed in the accident has not been officially disclosed in the available sources.
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation. Portugal's judicial police chief has stated that there is a high degree of certainty that there were two Canadians, one Ukrainian, and one German among the dead.
The Lisbon funicular railway, a historic landmark, has been a popular attraction for tourists for many years. The incident has left the city in mourning, with flowers and messages of condolence left at the crash site.
Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those affected by this tragic incident.
