Portugal has declared 3 days of official mourning.
The Lisbon trams are a distinguished feature of the capital city of Portugal, used by locals and tourists alike.
But today, the system that has been operating for almost 150 years suffered a major accident.
BBC reported:
“At least 15 people have been killed after Lisbon’s world-famous Gloria Funicular cable railway derailed and hit a building, emergency services say.”
Its’s been reported that at least eighteen others have been injured, including a child.
Now 15 dead and 20 injured after the famous yellow Lisbon elevator tram derailed today, apparently cause a cable snapped
This makes it the biggest disaster in Portugal in 24 years
Terrible tragedy pic.twitter.com/MD8Otk1oDN
— @levelsio (@levelsio) September 3, 2025
BREAKING:LISBON FUNICULAR DERAILS
Close-up footage shows the Elevador da Glória, one of the city’s most iconic trams, after it jumped the tracks in central Lisbon. Emergency services rushed to the scene, with at least 3 fatalities confirmed. pic.twitter.com/zZ3D03PAXi
— The_Independent (@TheIndeWire) September 3, 2025
The cause of the derailing is not known – but witnesses say they saw the carriage ‘out of control, without brakes’. Some of those killed were foreign nationals, authorities say.
“The railway, which opened in the 19th Century, connects Lisbon’s downtown with the upper quarter, and is popular with tourists.
[…] In the last hour or so, the ambulances have stopped arriving, and the people who were trapped inside the carriage of the funicular have been brought out.”
BREAKING:CABLE SNAP BLAMED FOR LISBON FUNICULAR CRASH ⚠️
A firefighter source tells Observador the Elevador da Glória lost control after a cable came loose, slamming into a building wall. Survivors are being treated as investigators probe the city’s iconic tram disaster. pic.twitter.com/Xpwl3VRbwC
— The_Independent (@TheIndeWire) September 3, 2025
The working theory in the investigation, so far, is that something went wrong with the braking system, involving the cable that runs under the surface of the steep road.
“These funicular cabs move by gripping onto the cable – so if anything happened to that cable, it would be a very serious situation.”
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