The underground cable that linked the two wagons of the and 23 were injured, gave in its fixing point in the cabin that derailed, the governmental prevention and investigation of accidents of aircraft and rail accidents (Gpiaaf) said Saturday.
The agency published an informative note on its website in which it explains that, during the descent of the car that left the road, the bodyguards immediately activated both the pneumatic brake and the manual. However, None of these actions managed to stop movement or reduce speed of the booth in descent.
Even so, the GPIIAF pointed out that the system that activates those brakes worked, but that, as configured, Those devices do not have sufficient capacity To immobilize the moving cabins if they are not balanced by the end that unites them, so “it does not constitute a redundant system in case of breakdown.”
The text makes a reconstruction of the facts and specifies that at 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT time) of September 3, the two wagons were parked in the two funicular stations, one above at the top of the Calçada da Gloria, the slope through which it passed, and the other in the bottom.
The GPIIAF said that at the moment the exact number of people who were inside the two wagons is unknown, since it is the guardians who control it, and one of them died.
Around 18:03 local time (17:03 GMT hour), the cabins began their movement, but when they had traveled about 6 meters respectively “They suddenly lost the balance force guaranteed by the cable that unites them “.
The car below abruptly backed away about 10 meters partially leaving the road, while the top followed its descending movement as its speed increased, traveling about 170 meters until at the beginning of a curve derailed and crashed into a building and two posts, and ended against the corner of another property.
It is estimated that The first collision occurred at a speed of 60 km/h and that the accident occurred in less than 50 seconds. The technicians underline that the cable he gave has a useful life of 600 days for this type of use and that had been installed 337.
The note adds that the so -called Glory elevator (elevator gives gloria) I had a maintenance plan with great reviews every four years and daily visual inspections of visible security elements, in addition to other interventions of intermediate periodicity.
The Gpiaaf stressed that, according to the tests observed so far, the maintenance plan “was up to date” and in the morning of the accident the programmed visual inspection had been carried out and no anomaly was detected in the cable or in the brake systems. However, it has pointed out that in the area where the cable separated it is not possible to visualize without disassembly.
He also pointed out that the funicular, founded in 1885, is not under the supervision of the Mobility and Transport Institute, and has clarified that at the moment does not have “reliable” information about its legal framework or on what is the public entity with the obligation to supervise its operation and security.
The Gpiaaf will present its preliminary report in 45 days, which takes place in parallel to the penalty developed by the Prosecutor’s Office and an internal audit, with the participation of external advisors, of Carris, the manager of the funicular.
