Portugal observed a day of national mourning Thursday following the devastating derailment of Lisbon’s historic Gloria funicular that killed 17 people and injured 21 others in the heart of the capital’s tourist district.
The century-old yellow tramcar veered off its steep tracks near Liberty Avenue on Wednesday evening, crashing into a building with what witnesses described as “brutal force.” The accident has shaken the nation and prompted immediate safety reviews of the city’s remaining funicular operations.
Among the casualties, at least 11 foreigners were injured, representing a cross-section of Lisbon’s international tourist population. The injured include two Germans, two Spaniards, a French woman, an Italian, a Swiss national, a Canadian, a South Korean, a Moroccan, and a person from Cape Verde, according to emergency services.
Fifteen people – eight men and seven women – died instantly at the scene, while two others succumbed to their injuries later. The identities of the victims have not yet been released.
The German foreign ministry confirmed its Lisbon embassy was coordinating with local authorities to identify German nationals among the casualties. Local media reports suggest a German man was killed while his wife remains in critical condition and their three-year-old child sustained minor injuries.
The tragedy has prompted immediate action from city authorities. Lisbon’s three remaining funiculars have been suspended while officials conduct comprehensive safety inspections.
“We must check the conditions and safety of their operations,” said Margarida Castro, municipal civil protection spokeswoman.
Pedro Bogas, head of Lisbon’s public transport operator Carris, defended the company’s maintenance record at the accident site. “Everything was scrupulously respected,” he stated, noting that maintenance has been contracted to a specialist company for 14 years.
The Gloria funicular underwent its most recent general maintenance in 2022, with intermediate servicing completed in 2024, according to company protocols.
Dramatic footage from the scene showed rescue workers laboring through the night around the mangled funicular, which lay on its side against a street wall. The train, capable of carrying approximately 40 passengers, was completely destroyed in the impact.
“The train struck the building with brutal force and collapsed like a cardboard box,” one witness told television channel SIC.
Images captured another funicular stopped just meters away on the parallel tracks as stunned tourists and locals gathered at the scene.
Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas described the incident as “a tragedy that our city has never seen.” Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s office issued a statement saying the disaster had “brought grief to families and dismay to the country.”
European Union President Ursula von der Leyen offered condolences to the victims’ families as international attention focused on the Portuguese capital.
Prosecutors have launched a formal investigation into the cause of the derailment.
The Gloria funicular, a beloved symbol of Lisbon’s transportation heritage, first began service in 1885 and was electrified in 1915. The distinctive yellow cars have become an iconic image on tourist souvenirs and postcards, representing the city’s unique solution to navigating its notoriously steep hills.
Spanish tourist Antonio Javier, 44, told reporters his family felt “a little relieved” to have avoided the funicular due to long queues – a decision that may have saved their lives.
The accident marks the worst public transport disaster in Lisbon’s modern history, casting a shadow over one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations and raising urgent questions about the safety of historic transportation systems in urban tourist areas.
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