15 Killed in Lisbon Streetcar Derailment: Portugal Observes National Day of Mourning After Deadly Accident
Portugal observed a day of national mourning today, following yesterday’s fatal streetcar accident in Lisbon that claimed the lives of 15 individuals. The incident marked the city’s most severe mishap in recent memory.
Authorities have yet to release details regarding the victims or the 23 individuals reportedly injured in the accident. The popular 19th-century streetcar, a significant tourist attraction in Lisbon, was filled with foreign visitors at the time of the incident.
Forensic teams from the National Forensics Institute, supported by colleagues from three other Portuguese cities, worked through the night to complete autopsies. Injured victims were admitted to hospitals across the Lisbon region.
The scene of the accident, a downtown road, was cordoned off by police, with accident investigators scheduled to arrive at the site. Officials refrained from speculating on potential causes such as a faulty brake or snapped cable until further investigation.
The overturned streetcar, known as Elevador da Gloria, lay on the narrow road it traverses, its sides and roof severely damaged. The vehicle crashed into a building at a bend, resulting in extensive damage to both structures.
Eyewitness Teresa d’Avó described the streetcar as out of control with no functioning brakes. She recalled seeing bystanders flee onto Avenida da Liberdade, the city’s main thoroughfare.
The accident occurred during the evening rush hour, around 6 p.m. local time. Emergency services managed to extract all victims from the wreckage within two hours.
The streetcar, technically referred to as a funicular, can carry over 40 passengers and is also frequently used by Lisbon residents. The service, inaugurated in 1885, travels up and down a hill on a curved, traffic-free road in tandem with one going the opposite direction.
In response to the incident, Lisbon’s City Council halted operations of three other famous funicular streetcars for immediate inspections. The Elevador da Gloria is classified as a national monument.
Last year, Lisbon welcomed around 8.5 million tourists, and long queues typically form for the brief rides on the popular streetcar. Carris, the company responsible for operating the streetcar, expressed its deepest sympathies to the victims’ families and pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa extended his condolences to affected families, while Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas described the city as being in mourning. “This is an unparalleled tragedy,” Moedas said.
In response, Portugal’s government announced a day of national mourning for today. The official statement read: “A tragic accident … resulted in the irreversible loss of human life, leaving families and the entire nation in mourning.”