A lawyer travelling home from work has been named among the 16 people killed when wales/lisbon/”>Lisbon’s iconic Glória funicular derailed and crashed into a building.
Alda Matias, an attorney with the Holy House of Mercy (Santa Casa da Misericórdia), was on board with colleagues when the tram-like carriage lost control on Wednesday evening. The charity confirmed four staff members died and two others remain in hospital. Ombudsman Paulo Sousa said the organisation was “in shock”, mourning “colleagues, friends, people with whom we shared our daily lives and mission.”
Former volleyball referee Pedro Manuel Alves Trindade has also been named among the dead. André Marques, the funicular’s brakeman, was the first victim to be identified.
Authorities said coroners have so far identified five Portuguese, two South Koreans and one Swiss national. Police chief Luís Neves said there is strong evidence the victims also include two Canadians, one American, one Ukrainian and one German. Local media reported a German family was caught up in the crash; the father died at the scene, the pregnant mother is in critical condition, and their three-year-old child suffered minor injuries.
How the crash unfolded
The crash happened at around 6pm when a cable reportedly came Looseloose, sending the upper car careering down the Steepsteep 265-metre route before it derailed on a bend and smashed into a building near the Bairro Alto district. Witnesses described “brutal” impact and scenes of panic as bystanders rushed to help pull victims from the wreckage.
Lisbon’s firefighters said a loose cable was the likely trigger. The operator Carris said the funicular passed a routine inspection on Wednesday morning and insisted maintenance protocols had been followed. The wreckage Beganbegan to be removed Thursday evening after on-site investigations.
Transport engineering specialists noted the Glória system, which dates to 1885 and is classed as a heritage cableway, uses two counterbalanced cars hauled by a central cable. Experts questioned why any emergency braking system did not stop or slow the descent, a key Pointpoint for investigators.
National mourning and investigation
Portugal’s leaders, including President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas, visited a growing memorial at the crash site. A national day of mourning has been declare d.
The Aircraft and Railway Accident Prevention and Investigation Office (GPIAAF) has opened a formal probe to determine the precise cause, including the condition of the haulage cable, braking systems and operational procedures.
