Portugal declared a national day of mourning on Thursday after a funicular train derailed in central Lisbon, killing at least 15 people and injuring 18 in one of the capital’s most popular tourist districts.
The accident occurred on Wednesday evening when the yellow Gloria funicular, which ferries passengers up a steep slope near Liberty Avenue, veered off its tracks and slammed into a building. Footage showed emergency crews working through the night as the mangled carriage lay on its side against a wall.
Authorities confirmed that all victims — including foreign tourists — had been recovered from the wreckage. Their identities have not yet been released.
Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas called the crash “a tragedy that our city has never seen.” Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said the disaster had brought “grief to families and dismay to the country,” while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered condolences on behalf of the EU.
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A woman interviewed on Portuguese TV described the impact as “brutal,” saying the carriage “collapsed like a cardboard box.”
Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the cause of the derailment. Lisbon’s public transport operator, Carris, said it had followed all maintenance protocols, noting the Gloria funicular underwent a full service in 2022 and intermediate work in 2024. “Everything was scrupulously respected,” Carris chief Pedro Bogas said.
The Gloria, first put into service in 1885 and electrified in 1915, is one of Lisbon’s most iconic sights, featured widely on postcards and souvenirs. The crash has raised concerns over the safety of the city’s historic but heavily used transport network.
