“There were successive complaints from workers regarding the level of tension in the funiculars’ support cables,” said Manuel Leal, head of the union representing the capital’s public transit workers. “There needs to be a thorough investigation into this disaster.”
Employees also linked the crash to wider budget cuts. Moedas was criticized by opposition politicians last year after it emerged that his administration had redirected millions of euros in public cash from Carris to finance the Web Summit technology conference. Municipal authorities later insisted that the public transit authority’s budget had not been altered because EU cash had been used to make up for redirected funds.
The crash took place in the late afternoon, when one of the cables that tows tram cars up the steep Glória hill snapped. The vehicle, which was carrying several dozen passengers, sped down the incline before smashing into a building at the bottom.
Authorities on Thursday said that nearly all the victims “have foreign last names” and are presumed to be tourists. In addition to the fatalities, the crash left 23 passengers seriously injured, five of whom are in critical condition. Following the disaster, Portugal’s government declared Thursday to be a day of national mourning, with two additional days of official mourning to be observed in the capital.
The Glória Funicular, in operation since 1885, was originally built to carry residents from the low-lying Rossio Square to Bairro Alto neighborhood, but as Lisbon has turned into a tourist mecca, foreign visitors have become its primary customers. It’s common to see long lines of influencers waiting to snap photos on its railway cars, which have been recognized as national monuments since 2002.
City authorities have provisionally suspended service on the capital’s five funicular lines while technicians review the infrastructure.
