At least 15 people died and around 18 were injured on Wednesday when Lisbon's Gloria funicular railway car — popular with tourists and one of the city's symbols — derailed and crashed, an emergency medical service spokesperson told reporters.

Authorities did not identify the victims or disclose their nationalities, but said some foreign nationals were among the dead. Five people were gravely injured, the spokesperson said.

Global Affairs Canada told CBC News it is"not aware of any Canadian citizens being impacted by this incident."

Eyewitnesses told local media that the streetcar careened down the hill in the Portuguese capital, apparently out of control. One witness said it toppled onto a man on a sidewalk.

"It's a tragic day for our city.… Lisbon is in mourning; it is a tragic, tragic incident," said the city's mayor, Carlos Moedas.

Footage from the site showed the tram-like funicular, which carries people up and down a hillside in Lisbon, destroyed, and emergency workers pulling people out of the wreckage.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa lamented the tragic accident in a statement, expressing hope authorities would soon establish what caused the crash.

Portugal's government announced that a day of national mourning would be observed on Thursday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also sent her condolences."It is with sadness that I learned of the derailment of the famous Elevador da Gloria," she wrote in Portuguese on X.

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 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.

Used by tourists and locals alike

It is one of three funicular lines operated by the municipal public transport company Carris and is used by tourists, as well as local residents.

Carris said in a statement that"all maintenance protocols have been carried out," including monthly and weekly maintenance programs and daily inspections.

The Gloria line transports around three million people annually, according to the town hall.

Its two cars, each capable of carrying around 40 people, are attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable, with traction provided by electric motors on the two cars.

Portugal — and Lisbon in particular — have experienced a tourism boom in the past decade, with visitors cramming the popular downtown area in the summer months.