Nationality of Lisbon funicular crash victims slowly emerging

2 days ago 10

Lisbon — Two days aft Portugal's worst-ever electrical streetcar clang killed 16 radical and near much than 20 others from crossed the globe injured, forensics teams successful Lisbon said Friday that they had identified astir each of the victims, galore of whom were crushed to decease erstwhile the famed Elevator da Gloria funicular hurtled retired of power down a steep hill, derailed and careened into a building.

While names person not yet been disclosed, Portugal's attorney-general said Friday greeting that the decease toll includes 2 South Koreans, 2 Swiss nationals, 1 French nationalist and 5 Portuguese citizens.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed to CBS News connected Thursday that 1 American was besides among the 16 radical killed, but they did not place the victim.

"Our unit successful Lisbon and present successful the United States are moving tirelessly to supply consular assistance to the unfortunate and their family. We widen our condolences to the victims and families of each those affected," the authoritative said. "The Embassy is moving intimately with section authorities to assistance U.S. citizens successful the affected area, and continues to show the concern closely. Due to privateness considerations, we person nary further details astatine this time."

Aftermath of the Gloria Funicular mishap successful Lisbon

There is besides "a precocious possibility," based connected recovered documents and different evidence, that the victims see 2 Canadians, 1 German and 1 Ukrainian, according to the caput of the nationalist investigative police, Luís Neves. CBS News' spouse web BBC News said Friday that Portuguese constabulary believed 3 British nationals were besides among those killed.

At slightest 21 different passengers were injured, including radical from Portugal, Spain, Israel, Brazil, Italy and France, according to the caput of Portugal's National Health Service.

Millions of radical thrust Lisbon's iconic yellow-and-white funicular cars each year. It's a fashionable acquisition for overseas tourists, and the Elevador da Gloria, astatine astir 140 years old, has agelong been a large attraction. In 2024, an estimated 29 cardinal foreigners visited Portugal, galore passing done the superior and its quiet, cobblestone streets and hills.

But the electrical thoroughfare cars and hillside funiculars are besides portion of mundane beingness for galore locals.

A Portuguese foundation based connected the elevation adjacent the apical of the Elevador da Gloria funicular confirmed Friday that 4 of its employees were killed successful the accident. They were believed to person been commuting from work.

"We person mislaid colleagues, friends and the radical who we shared our regular lives arsenic good arsenic our mission", the Santa Casa da Misericordia said successful a statement. "We're successful a authorities of shock."

Lisbon Funicular Derails In Deadly Accident

Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas attended a Mass successful the aboriginal evening connected Thursday adjacent the tract of the crash. Speaking to reporters extracurricular the church, Rebelo de Sousa said: "This is simply a clip of mourning. It's the infinitesimal to mourn the dead... commune and deliberation of the dead, and to enactment their friends and family."

The president besides called for a clarification of the causes of the mishap "as rapidly arsenic possible."

After midnight connected Friday, and with fewer onlookers, workers lifted the mangled wreckage of the Elevador da Gloria car that crashed.

As with astir funiculars, 2 carriages linked by a alloy cablegram run successful tandem: One carriage climbs up the elevation arsenic the different trundles dilatory down. Early Wednesday evening, galore radical judge that cablegram snapped, causing the tragedy.

Portuguese media showed officials inspecting the frayed ends of the cablegram that had connected the cars, which they had pulled up from underground, connected Friday. According to a occurrence brigade official, the car coming down from the apical of the elevation was not capable to dilatory down, entered a curve successful the elevation excessively fast, derailed, and past plowed into the cobblestone pavement and crashed.

Cable and brake failures are 2 of the astir communal causes of streetcar accidents.

The president of the Portuguese Order of the Engineers, Almeis Santos, told CBS News the mishap appeared to person been caused by the rupture of the cable.

"It's precise strange... for this benignant of cable. It's not mean and it's astir intolerable to person [a] abrupt rupture," helium said.

Gloria Funicular Attracts Tourism All Year Around

Santos said if the cablegram did drawback suddenly, neither the manual nor automatic brakes connected the funicular would person been capable to clasp backmost the streetcars, which, erstwhile loaded with passengers measurement astir 20 tons each.

Carris, the institution that operates the Elevador da Gloria, has said regular inspections — including regular checks — had been carried retired arsenic required.

Portugal's Air and Rail Accident Investigation Unit was expected to merchandise a preliminary study connected the method origin of the funicular clang aboriginal Friday. In 45 days, Portugal's nationalist constabulary volition past contented their study connected immoderate imaginable criminality progressive successful the crash.

The politician said Lisbon and its 3 cardinal residents would observe 3 days of mourning pursuing the disaster.

Ramy Inocencio

Ramy Inocencio is simply a CBS News overseas analogous based successful London, covering Europe and the Middle East. He joined the Network successful 2019 arsenic CBS News' Asia correspondent, based successful Beijing and reporting crossed the Asia-Pacific, bringing 2 decades of acquisition moving and traveling betwixt Asia and the United States.

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