In Lisbon, the derailment of the Gloria funicular plunges the city into mourning

Portugal is in mourning. Shortly after 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 3, the Gloria funicular, one of Lisbon's most iconic modes of transport, derailed in the historic center of the Portuguese capital.

The death toll reported by emergency services stands at 15, but the number could rise. Twenty-three people were injured, several of them in critical condition. A judicial investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the accident. While the identities and nationalities of the victims have not yet been released, the Quai d'Orsay announced that a French woman was among the injured.

The tragedy occurred at the bottom of Rua da Gloria, a steep street connecting Rossio Square to the Bairro Alto district. The yellow and white car, loaded with mostly foreign passengers, rolled down the slope before crashing into a building. According to initial reports, the funicular was "descending at full speed."

Images posted on social media showed the wreckage embedded in a wall and engulfed in a cloud of smoke, apparently after missing the bend at the bottom of the street. Witness Teresa d'Avo, who broadcast live on SIC Noticias, described seeing the funicular hurtling down the slope "without brakes" before crashing "with brutal force . " "It fell apart like a cardboard box, it was impressive, it had no brakes," she said, claiming to have seen victims being carried out on stretchers.

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