At least 15 people died and 18 others were injured, five of whom are in serious condition, after the Gloria Elevator, a popular tourist funicular in central Lisbon, derailed Wednesday, authorities said.
These figures were offered at a press conference on the ground by a spokesperson for the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM), who updated the data on the number of victims of the accident involving the funicular, which connects Restauradores Square with Bairro Alto and the São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint.
All the victims have been removed from the wreckage, said Tiago Augusto, head of the emergency medical service (Inem), who added that among those affected were foreigners, although he could not specify their nationality.
Images from the scene show the car, similar to a tram but traveling up and down a hill in the Portuguese capital, almost destroyed, its roof completely crushed. In the minutes following the accident, emergency services were seen pulling its occupants from the wreckage.
This Lisbon funicular consists of two cars. Each is connected to a cable, and the traction for ascending and descending is provided by electric motors located in the vehicles. The car located at the end of the line, at the bottom, appears to have been undamaged. It is not yet known what caused the accident at the Glória elevator, which occurred minutes before 7:00 p.m., Spanish mainland time.
According to the Portuguese news agency Lusa, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed his regret over the"serious accident" and also spoke of "deaths" and "serious injuries." The São José Hospital has already received seven injured people, five of whom are in serious condition, the Local Health Unit informed Lusa.
On the ground, Efe reports, a large police presence has closed off access to the area, where emergency teams are working.
The Glória Elevator, with a capacity of 43 people, is very popular with tourists visiting the city. It connects Restauradores Square with Bairro Alto and the São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint, one of the most visited in the Portuguese capital.
The last time this Lisbon funicular derailed was in May 2018, bringing the service to a standstill for at least a month, but there were no injuries on that occasion.
