The death toll from the accident involving the Gloria tourist funicular in Lisbon has risen to 17, with 21 people injured, according to emergency services quoted by AFP.

Among those injured in the accident in a popular tourist area are 11 foreigners — two Germans, two Spaniards, and citizens of France, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, South Korea, Morocco, and Cape Verde, the services said.

Earlier today, Portugal declared September 4 a day of national mourning. The accident occurred on September 3 when the yellow train derailed on a steep section near Avenida da Liberdade and crashed into a building.

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

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

In a statement, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said that the crash 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. | BGNES