Day of mourning in Portugal after funicular train crash kills 15 people
A day of national mourning has been declared in Portugal after 15 people died when a historic cable car in Lisbon derailed on Wednesday evening. Twenty-three people are injured, five of them critically, according to Portuguese authorities.
The Gloria funicular train was almost completely destroyed in the incident, whose cause is not yet known. Those injured include children and a pregnant woman.
The first confirmed death is the Portuguese driver of the train. A trade union source confirmed his death to the newspaper Jornal de Notícias.
Archive image of the Gloria tram © PHOTO PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP
The nationality of the others killed is not yet known, though there are reported to be foreign nationals among them. According to Spanish media, the country’s ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that two of those injured are Spanish.
Lisbon’s mayor, Carlos Moedas, visited victims in hospital on Wednesday, calling the crash a “tragic moment for the city”. The government, which will host the mayor at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, has declared a day of national mourning.
Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever expressed his condolences in a post on X on Thursday morning.
The Gloria funicular is one of the most famous sights in Lisbon. It was opened in 1885 and connects Rossio Square to the Bairro Alto and Principe Real neighbourhoods. With a capacity of around 40 passengers, it is a popular means of transport for tourists as well as locals.
Lisbon’s public transport company, Carris, which operates the funicular, has said it complied with all maintenance protocols.
Emergency services at the site of the crash in Lisbon, 3 September 2025 © PHOTO XUN WEI / XINHUA / ABACAPRESS.COM
Related news
