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At least 15 people have died and around 18 were injured when Lisbon’s Gloria funicular railway car, which is popular with tourists, derailed and crashed, an emergency medical service spokesperson told reporters.
Authorities would not identify the victims or disclose their nationalities, but said some foreign nationals were among the dead.
“It’s a tragic day for our city … Lisbon is in mourning, it is a tragic, tragic incident,” Carlos Moedas, mayor of the Portuguese capital, told reporters.
Footage from the site showed the yellow tram-like funicular, which carries people up and down a steep hillside in Lisbon, destroyed, and emergency workers pulling people out of the wreckage on Thursday AEST.
Police investigators were inspecting the site and the prosecutor general’s office said it would open a formal investigation, as is customary in public transport accidents.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said on Thursday that Australian officials were making urgent enquiries following the crash.
“The Australian Government offers its deepest sympathies to those affected,” a DFAT spokesperson said in a statement.
“We are not aware of any Australians who have been killed or seriously injured. We are providing consular assistance to one individual.”
A formal investigation will be opened into the cause of the crash. Source: AAP / EPA / Miguel A Lopes
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa lamented the tragic accident in a statement, expressing hope that authorities would soon determine the cause of the crash.
The line, which opened in 1885, connects Lisbon’s downtown area near the Restauradores Square with the Bairro Alto (Upper Quarter), famous for its vibrant nightlife.
It is one of three funicular lines operated by the municipal public transportation company Carris and is used by both tourists and local residents.
Its two cars are attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable, with traction provided by electric motors on both cars.
Portugal, and Lisbon in particular, have experienced a tourism boom over the past decade, with visitors crowding the popular downtown area during the summer months.
