This is the second accident in recent years involving the funicular, originally inaugurated in 1885
João Gabriel de Lima-The Glory Elevator, a well-known tourist attraction, derailed on Wednesday (3), killing at least 15 people and leaving 18 other wounds-the elevator cars have a maximum capacity of 42 people. According to the newspaper O Público, the accident was caused by a security cable that broke, causing the funicular to collide with a building.
The accident occurred at 6:08 pm, 2:08 pm in Brazil, when the elevator was curved on the sidewalk of Gloria. Three of the injured are in serious condition, according to the authorities, who mobilized 62 rescuers and 22 vehicles, including ambulances, fire trucks and police vehicles.
At about 8:30 pm, local time, the firefighters were able to remove all the victims trapped in the hardware, said the head of the firefighters, Alexandre Rodrigues. Most of the injured were sent to São José Hospital, the closest to the scene of the accident. INEM (National Institute of Medical Emergencies) said there are people with foreign surnames among the victims.
Images show the funicular completely destroyed after the accident. The mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Coins, who occupies a position equivalent to that of mayor, was at the scene of the tragedy. At a news conference, coins no longer gave information about the injured or the cause of the accident, just saying that “Lisbon is in mourning.”
“I am in direct contact with the Prime Minister [Luís Montenegro] and the President of the Republic [Marcelo Rebelo]. They quickly came to the rescue of the fire and INEM teams. I thank you for that. It’s a huge tragedy and a very hard day, ”said the mayor.
João Ferreira, a councilman of the Portuguese Communist Party, who was also at the scene, told Folha de S.Paulo that the accident “is unprecedented in these proportions”.
“It is premature to make any assessment of possible failures, it is now the time to let the rescue teams work freely. Some Carris workers [empresa de Lisboa responsável pelo transporte urbano] They have been talking to us by showing concern for the maintenance of equipment, which are quite old, ”points out the councilman.“ But we can’t say anything before careful assessment of what may have caused this tragic accident. ”
The president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, said in a note regretting the accident. “The President of the Republic presents his grief and solidarity to families affected by this tragedy and hopes that the occurrence will be quickly clarified by the competent entities,” he said.
This is the second accident in recent years involving the funicular, originally inaugurated in 1885 – he turns 140 in October. In 2018, in an episode that did not leave injured, the elevator derailed, but did not fall after a maintenance failure.
The Gloria Elevator is operated by the public company Carris and travels a 265 meter and 44 meter high route, connecting the Restauradores Square, in the Baixa neighborhood, to the São Pedro de Alcântara Garden, in the Alto de Lisboa neighborhood. In 2002, it was considered a national monument of Portugal, along with the other two funicular of the Portuguese capital: the Bica elevator and the Lavra. It carries about 3 million people every year.
Calçada da Glória, where the accident occurred, begins at Avenida da Liberdade, known Lisbon tourist spot that brings together the luxury stores in the capital, with brands such as Prada, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Armani.
