The cable car accident, which left 16 people dead, has moved many people in the Portuguese capital. An independent commission is to determine the cause of the accident. However, grief remains the primary focus.

By Anna Mundt, currently in Lisbon

"That could have been me" – a thought shared by many on this day, standing before the ruins of the iconic"Elevador da Glória." Some briefly cross themselves and then quickly move on, others pause, take photos, or lay flowers.

Monika Sandeberry stands quietly in the crowd, while onlookers and journalists bustle around her."I live around the corner from here—and I'm so sad," she says."People just wanted to take a peaceful trip and didn't mean any harm by it."

For some, grief turns into anger

The yellow funicular, which travels daily up Lisbon's steep hills, is one of the Portuguese capital's most important tourist attractions. And it means a lot to the people of Lisbon, says Rita Mendes, who, along with her parents, wants to express her condolences at the scene of the accident."We often bring friends and tourists here and show them typical Lisbon," says Mendes. This place is a tourist highlight, and hopefully it will stay that way."Even if we're here today for such a terrible reason."

For some passersby, however, grief also turns to anger. Luis Sá, who has lived in the city for 61 years, explains."This accident shows that the city's public works departments aren't taking enough care of their vehicles," Sá says. The air conditioning systems are broken, the floor is full of holes, and it's unclear whether you'll even get there.

Cause of accident is unclear

He's not the only one complaining about the state of public transport. According to the city's transport operator, Carris, everything was done according to regulations during the accident, and all maintenance work was carried out as scheduled.

The cause of the accident involving Lisbon's"Elevador da Glória" remains unclear. Accordingly, media representatives eagerly awaited a statement from Prime Minister Luis Montenegro at midday. He expressed his deep sadness and assured the victims' families of every assistance. The accident is one of the worst tragedies in recent history, the prime minister said. It affects not only Portugal; the pain knows no nationality.

Independent commission to clarify

Many tourists are among the victims. There are no official figures yet on the number of dead. Only the nationalities of the injured are known – according to authorities, two of them are German.

There are no words for the tragedy, Mayor Carlos Moedas made clear. And even though many are now searching for the reasons, one must wait for official investigations; everything else is speculation. The city needs answers now, and he will work to ensure everything is clarified. An independent commission should be set up for this purpose.

On the national day of mourning, many Lisbon residents initially opted for solidarity. And tourists also wanted to stand by their side, as they repeatedly assured at the scene of the accident.