A tragic accident involving Lisbon’s iconic Gloria funicular railway claimed the lives of 16 people and injured 22 others, including several foreign tourists. The crash occurred during evening rush hour when one of the tram-like carriages lost control and hurtled down a steep hill, crashing into a building near the bottom of the track.

Preliminary investigations by Portugal’s Office for Air and Rail Accident Investigations revealed that the connecting cable had failed, causing the upper cabin to accelerate uncontrollably. Despite the brakeman’s efforts to apply both pneumatic and manual brakes, the carriage continued to gain speed before impact.

Among the victims were nationals from Portugal, the UK, South Korea, and Switzerland, with identities of others still being confirmed. Eyewitnesses described the crash as sudden and violent, with passengers leaping from windows to escape. One survivor told reporters, “It hit the building like a bullet. There were no brakes.”

The Portuguese government declared three days of national mourning, and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa extended condolences to the families affected. The Gloria funicular, a historic tourist attraction dating back to 1885, has been temporarily suspended pending a full safety review.

Authorities are expected to release a final report in the coming weeks, while calls for stricter oversight of heritage transport systems grow across Europe.