At least 15 people were killed and 18 others injured when a funicular derailed in Lisbon, Portugal.

All the victims have been pulled from the wreckage, said Tiago Augusto of the INEM emergency services. He added that there were foreigners among them.

"This is a tragic day for our city. It is a very difficult day for all of us. At the moment, all the teams, the municipality of Lisbon, the emergency services (INEM), civil protection, the fire department, we are all on site and trying to help the victims of this tragic, tragic accident in the city of Lisbon. Lisbon is in mourning," Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas told CNN Portugal.

The Gloria funicular, which can carry up to 42 people, is a Lisbon landmark and is very popular with tourists visiting the city. It is more than a century old, having opened in 1885, according to Lisbon's official tourism website.

Carris, the public transport company that operates the funicular, said its teams were on site and that "all resources" had been activated to respond to the incident.

"The priority is to monitor the situation," an official source said, without giving further details on the possible cause of the derailment.

The office of Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said the president "deeply regrets" the accident and extends his condolences to those affected. | BGNES