One of Lisbon’s most famous tourist attractions turned into a death trap in a matter of seconds. At least seventeen people lost their lives last night after the historic “Elevador da Gloria” cable car derailed in the center of the Portuguese capital. Five people were seriously injured, 13 slightly.
It is expected that several foreign tourists are among the dead and injured. “Portugal is in mourning,” a visibly distraught mayor, Carlos Moentas, told the television news channel SIC Not?cias. Shortly after 8 p.m. Greek time, the cable car, which essentially resembles a tram, derailed. It appeared to slide uncontrollably down the downhill roadway and then hit the wall of a building.
Live TV channels showed images of clouds of smoke and the wreckage of the cable car. Sirens were heard everywhere, while rescue teams carried victims and the injured. “It looked like an action movie,” said one eyewitness. Another said he and other passersby ran for their lives when they heard the deafening sound of the collision.
A similar accident has never happened before
But what was the cause of the accident? Experts suspect that a cable may have been cut, while they do not rule out a problem with the braking system. For its part, however, Lisbon’s urban transport company Carris rejects allegations of poor maintenance of the cable car, emphasizing that “monthly and weekly maintenance schedules, as well as daily inspections, are carried out meticulously.” It should be noted that such an accident on one of the three cable cars, which have been operating in the Portuguese capital since the 19th century, has never happened before.
The “Elevador da Gloria” began operating in 1885 and is one of Lisbon’s three historic city cable cars. It connects the central square Pra?a dos Restauradores with the Bairro Alto district 45 meters higher. The cable car is mainly a tourist attraction, but is also used by many locals.
Source: DW
Editor: Stefanos Georgakakopoulos
