Lisbon mourns 16 victims of cable car crash as investigation begins

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Footage from the site of the Gloria funicular railway accident on Wednesday (September 3) showed the destroyed yellow tram-like funicular, which carries people up and down a steep hillside in the Portuguese capital. Emergency workers were pulling people out of the wreckage.

(2029-PORTUGAL-ACCIDENT/VOX POP)

LISBON, PORTUGAL (SEPTEMBER 3, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

1. VARIOUS OF WRECKAGE OF RAILWAY CAR

(1940-PORTUGAL-ACCIDENT/UPDATE)

LISBON, PORTUGAL (SEPTEMBER 3, 2025) (REUTERS- Access all)

2. POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS NEAR ACCIDENT SITE

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LISBON, PORTUGAL (SEPTEMBER 3, 2025) (SIC – No use Portugal) (NIGHT SHOTS)

3. VARIOUS OF EMERGENCY CREWS AT FUNICULAR ACCIDENT SITE

4. VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS AND EMERGENCY CREWS AT SITE

5. JUDICIAL POLICE OFFICERS ARRIVING AT SITE

6. JUDICIAL POLICE OFFICER PUTTING ON FORENSIC SUIT

7. JUDICIAL POLICE OFFICER TAKING PICTURES AT SITE

8. JUDICIAL AND INVESTIGATIVE POLICE AT ACCIDENT SITE

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) PORTUGAL EMERGENCY SERVICE SPOKESPERSON, TIAGO AUGUSTO, SAYING:

“I can't confirm this yet, we've obviously identified several foreign surnames, but I can't confirm which nationalities.”

(1940-PORTUGAL-ACCIDENT/UPDATE)

LISBON, PORTUGAL (SEPTEMBER 3, 2025) (REUTERS- Access all)

10. (NIGHT SHOTS) FIREFIGHTERS WORKING NEAR FUNICULAR

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) COMMANDER OF LISBON PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS, ALEXANDRE RODRIGUES, SAYING:

“We were alerted of the derailment of the Santa Justa elevator at 6:08 p.m. We arrived at the scene in 3 minutes, getting there very quickly. The causes of the accident will have to be analysed by the competent authorities.”

12. AMBULANCES, POLICE AND CIVIL PROTECTION VEHICLES PARKING IN FOZ PALACE NEAR ACCIDENT SITE

13. FIRE BRIGADE AND EMERGENCY TEAMS WORKING NEXT TO DERAILED FUNICULAR

14. POLICE GUARDING SITE

15. ACCIDENT SITE

16. PEOPLE STANDING BEHIND ROPE

Portuguese judicial police officers took photographs of the wreckage on Thursday (September 4).

(2051-PORTUGAL-ACCIDENT/POLICE)

LISBON, PORTUGAL (SEPTEMBER 4, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

17. POLICE OFFICERS AT THE CRASH SITE

18. WRECKAGE OF THE RAILWAY CAR

19. POLICE OFFICERS AT THE CRASH SITE

20. WRECKAGE OF THE RAILWAY CAR

21. VARIOUS OF JUDICIAL POLICE OFFICER TAKING PHOTOS OF THE CRASH SITE

22. INVESTIGATORS CHECKING THE RAILWAY CAR

23. JUDICIAL POLICE OFFICERS INSIDE A RAILWAY CAR

The death toll of the Lisbon funicular railway crash rose to 17 on Thursday after two people died in hospital overnight, head of civil protection Margarida Castro Martins told reporters.

Authorities did not identify the victims or disclose their nationalities, but said some foreign nationals were among the dead.

(2058-PORTUGAL-ACCIDENT/FUNICULARS)

LISBON, PORTUGAL (SEPTEMBER 4, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

24. POLICE LEAVING FUNICULAR RAILWAY CAR

25. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) HEAD OF PORTUGAL CIVIL PROTECTION, MARGARIDA CASTRO MARTINS, SAYING:

“As for the nationality of the victims transported to hospital, we have so far ascertained four Portuguese, two German, two Spanish, one Korean, one Cape Verdean, one Canadian, one Italian, one French, one Swiss and one Moroccan. The nationalities of four of the injured have yet to be ascertained. There were also 15 fatalities in the accident, who were taken to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine. Of the 23 injured taken to hospital, two died in hospital last night. This brings the total number of people involved to 38, of whom 21 were injured and 17 died.”

26. CASTRO MARTINS WITH JOURNALISTS

27. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) HEAD OF PORTUGAL CIVIL PROTECTION, MARGARIDA CASTRO MARTINS, SAYING:

“Of the victims, we have identified seven men and eight women, all adults, including foreign nationalities. We do not yet have information on the age or nationality of these victims, which is the responsibility of the Public Prosecutor's Office, which will inform the families and the media in due course, as well as ordering the release of the bodies.”

28. FUNICULAR SIGN READING OUT OF SERVICE

29. PEOPLE WALKING DOWN AND FUNICULAR RAILWAY CARS AT BACKGROUND

30. VARIOUS OF FUNICULAR RAILWAY CARS STOPPED

Visitors and local residents of the Portuguese capital gathered at the crash site on Thursday.

(2029-PORTUGAL-ACCIDENT/VOX POP)

LISBON, PORTUGAL (SEPTEMBER 4, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

31. MEDIA AT RAILWAY CAR CRASH SITE

32. VARIOUS CRASH SITE

33. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM UNITED KINGDOM JAMES NOLAN, SAYING:

"It was coming down the hill, something was wrong with the cable, it lost control and did not have any breaking ability. When it came around the corner, it crashed into the building. But I do believe the people at the bottom are very lucky because I have seen videos online of them escaping at the bottom cabin. So the other one didn't hit the one on the bottom, which was actually very lucky in the end."

34. (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZILIAN LIVING IN LISBON, ELIANE CHAVES, SAYING:

"People say that it was negligence but it was not negligence. They supervise it (railway car) thoroughly. It was an accident just like a plane or car accident happen. It was not negligence because they do a great job maintaining it (the railway car). I have been living here for 20 years and I have always seen them maintaining it. It was an accident."

European leaders took to social media to express their condolences.

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INTERNET (SEPTEMBER 3, 2025) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE – Access all)

35. SCREENSHOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA POST FROM EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT URSULA VON DER LEYEN READING (Portuguese): “It is with sadness that I learned of the derailment of the famous ‘Elevador da Glória.’ My sympathies go to the families of the victims.”

36. SCREENSHOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA POST FROM PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL ANTONIO COSTA READING (English): Having just landed in Paris, I received with deep sorrow the news of the severity of the tragic accident involving the Glória Funicular, which has meant so much in my life. My thoughts are with the victims, with their loved ones, and with the injured, to whom I wish a swift recovery. I extend my heartfelt condolences to Portugal and to the city of Lisbon.”

37. SCREENSHOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA POST FROM LISBON MAYOR CARLOS MOEDAS READING (Portuguese): “Lisbon is in mourning. This is a tragic moment for the city. Teams from CML – the Regimento de Sapadores Bombeiros, Civil Protection and Municipal Police – as well as the Volunteer Firefighters, the PSP and INEM, are on site providing assistance. The victims have been taken to hospital. I deeply regret the lives lost and all the suffering caused. At this moment, what matters is to act: support the families, help the injured and ensure all necessary support to the authorities on the ground.”

38. SCREENSHOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA POST FROM FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON READING (Portuguese): “The French share in the mourning of the Portuguese after the tragic funicular accident in Lisbon. Our condolences to the bereaved families and our solidarity with Portugal.”

39. SCREENSHOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA POST FROM UKRAINE PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY READING (English): “Deeply saddened by the tragic accident with Glória elevator in Lisbon, which caused dozens of fatalities and left more than 25 people injured. On behalf of the Ukrainian people, I extend heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, to President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, @LMontenegro_PT, and we wish a speedy recovery to those injured. In this time of grief, we remain in prayer and solidarity with Portuguese people mourning the loss.”

40. SCREENSHOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA POST FROM SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS ANTONIO GUTERRES READING (English): “I was deeply saddened by the news of the derailment & crash of Lisbon’s Gloria funicular railway in Portugal. I express my condolences to the victims’ families & my full solidarity with the people of Lisbon.”

The funicular line, which opened in 1885, connects Lisbon's downtown area near the Restauradores Square with the Bairro Alto (Upper Quarter), famous for its vibrant nightlife.

It is one of three funicular lines operated by the municipal public transport company Carris and is used by tourists as well as local residents.

Its two cars are attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable with traction provided by electric motors on the two cars.

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LISBON, PORTUGAL (FILE – 2008) (ORIGINALLY SHOT IN 4:3) (REUTERS – Access all)

41. VARIOUS OF BICA FUNICULAR DRIVING IN STREET

42. VARIOUS OF LAVRA FUNICULAR

43. GLORIA FUNICULAR