Portugal declared September 4 a day of national mourning after the Gloria tourist funicular in Lisbon derailed, killing at least 15 people in one of the capital's most popular neighborhoods.

The accident occurred on September 3, when the yellow train derailed on a steep section near Avenida da Liberdade and crashed into a building. Rescuers reported 18 more people injured. There are foreigners among the victims, and all the injured have already been pulled from the wreckage.

The government confirmed that on September 4, the country will honor the memory of the victims, whose names have not yet been released.

Footage from the scene showed police and emergency crews working late into the night around the crushed funicular, which was overturned on its side.

A woman interviewed by SIC television said that the train, which can carry about 40 people, "crashed into the building with brutal force and folded like a cardboard box."

Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas called the incident "a tragedy our city has never experienced before." 

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said in a statement that the accident had brought "grief to families and devastation to the country." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also expressed her condolences.

The Lisbon Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.

The city transport operator Carris said that all maintenance protocols had been followed. "Everything was done meticulously," director Pedro Bogas assured on site, adding that technical maintenance of the funiculars has been carried out by an external company for 14 years.

General technical maintenance is carried out every four years, with the last one having been in 2022. Interim maintenance is carried out every two years and was completed in 2024.

"We are a little relieved that we missed the ride because the queue was too long," said 44-year-old Spanish tourist Antonio Javier. 

The funiculars in Lisbon are a favorite means of transportation for both residents and tourists, climbing and descending the steep hills of the capital. The yellow train is a well-known symbol and often appears on souvenirs in shops.

The Gloria funicular was put into operation in 1885 and electrified in 1915, according to data from the Portuguese National Monuments Authority. | BGNES