Portugal is in mourning following a devastating incident on Wednesday evening when Lisbon's renowned Glória funicular cable railway derailed, crashing into a building. The tragedy resulted in the deaths of 16 individuals and left 23 others injured, some critically. Portuguese Prime MinisterLuís Montenegroconfirmed the revised death toll on Thursday, noting that emergency services had initially reported 17 fatalities. Among the deceased were seven men and eight women, as stated by Margarida Castro Martins, head of Lisbon's Civil Protection Agency.

The victims represented a diverse group of nationalities, highlighting the funicular's popularity among both residents and tourists. Five of those killed were Portuguese, while the international toll included three Britons, two South Koreans, two Canadians, an American, a Ukrainian, a Swiss, and a French national. Police have not yet released all identities, but several victims have been named. André Jorge Gonçalves Marques, the funicular's brake guard, was identified among the dead by the Portuguese transport union Sitra and his employer Carris, who described him as a "dedicated, kind and happy professional."

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Pedro Manuel Alves Trindade, a former volleyball referee and leader of theLisbon Volleyball Association, was also confirmed as a victim by the Portuguese Volleyball Federation. Additionally, four employees of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia organisation died in the crash, including lawyer Alda Matias.

Eyewitnesses recounted the terrifying moments of the crash, which occurred just after 18:00 local time. Helen Chow, at the base of the hill, described hearing a sound "like a bomb" followed by "complete scary silence" and "pitch black smoke." Rasha Abdo, travelling in the lower carriage, stated there were "no brakes in our cable car, it was going down fast, with acceleration, like there was no control." She recalled the carriage coming to a "very hard" hit, causing people to crash into each other.

Abel Esteves, another passenger in the lower carriage, feared for his life, shouting to his wife, "we are all going to die here," as he saw the upper carriage descending rapidly. People were seen running to help, with some jumping from the lower tram's windows, while others, like tour guide Marianna Figueiredo, rushed to the scene to assist, only to be met by a devastating silence and then the sight of dead bodies as the wreckage was cleared.

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The Glória funicular, a 140-year-old railway system, operates with two carriages attached to a cable, allowing one to ascend as the other descends. Witnesses indicated that the lower carriage made a hard stop, while the upper carriage careened around a bend at full speed, crashing into a building. Eric Packer, a tourist who had just decided to walk instead of taking the funicular, heard a loud crash "like a rock falling" shortly after 18:00 and returned to witness the "magnitude of what had taken place."

In the aftermath, Portugal declared a national day of mourning. The capital's public transport operator, Carris, which runs the funicular, stated that an independent investigation has been launched and all funiculars in Lisbon would be inspected. Carris maintained that all maintenance protocols had been rigorously followed, with the last general maintenance carried out in 2022. The Glória funicular, opened in 1885 and electrified decades later, is not only a popular tourist attraction but also a vital means for Lisbon residents to navigate the city's steep, cobbled streets. The incident has left the city in shock and raised questions about the safety of its historic transport systems.