Tragedy strikes Portugal: Casualties from Lisbon's funicular crash confirmed

In the heart of Lisbon, Portugal, a tragic incident occurred on Monday evening, claiming the lives of 16 individuals and leaving many more injured. The Gloria funicular, a historic mode of transport that has been in service since 1885, was the site of this devastating accident.

The victims, whose nationalities have not yet been officially confirmed in their entirety, include citizens from Portugal, Switzerland, South Korea, France, Canada, the United States, Ukraine, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Morocco, and Cape Verde. It is believed that two Canadians, one American, one German, and one Ukrainian were among the deceased, although this has not been officially confirmed.

Five Portuguese, two South Koreans, and one Swiss citizen have had their identities confirmed, while the identities of some remain unknown. The incident resulted in 23 people being hospitalized, with 13 sustaining light injuries and 10 being seriously injured. Three of the seriously injured were Portuguese citizens, while the others hailed from Germany, South Korea, Switzerland, Cape Verde, Morocco, Canada, the United States, and Ukraine.

The Gloria funicular shuttles commuters between Restauradores Square and Bairro Alto, and visuals of the damaged funicular were circulated on social media throughout the night. Rescuers worked tirelessly for over two hours to pull victims out of the wreckage.

Following the incident, Portugal's prime minister, António Costa, offered state airline TAP's services to transport the families of the victims and to repatriate those injured and killed. Lisbon's City Council halted operations of other streetcars in the city and ordered immediate inspections. Portuguese authorities also suspended Lisbon's three other funiculars for safety checks.

The European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, and the European Council President, Antonio Costa (a former Portuguese prime minister), expressed their condolences on social media. The US State Department confirmed that an American citizen was among the victims, and the Catholic Patriarch of Lisbon, Rui Valerio, expressed his condolences to the victims' families and praised the efforts of the rescue teams.

The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, also expressed sympathy to the victims' families. Carris, the company that operates the streetcar, stated that scheduled maintenance had been conducted on the funicular. A probe into the cause of the Gloria funicular accident is ongoing.

In the wake of this tragedy, Lisbon is in mourning, and the city stands united in its grief.