Accident on Lisbon cableway causes impact in Germany
The historic "Elevador da Glória" funicular in Lisbon derailed on Wednesday evening, resulting in 16 deaths and 21 injuries. The accident occurred near the Praça dos Restauradores square, connecting the central square with the higher-lying Bairro Alto district, which is primarily a tourist attraction.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, expressed their condolences to Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and the relatives of the victims. Portugal's Prime Minister Luís Montenegro cancelled all his appointments, while the country's Mayor Carlos Moedas declared a three-day mourning period following the accident.
The car, which was on its way down with many passengers, slid down the street with a loud crash and crashed into a building. Experts suspect that a cable may have broken and the brakes may have failed as the cause of the accident. The operator, Lisbon's public transport company Carris, stated that the monthly and weekly maintenance programs and daily checks are carried out meticulously.
Among the victims were citizens of ten different nationalities, including unofficially a German, according to Portuguese media. However, this has not been officially confirmed. Among the injured were two Spaniards and one South Korean, according to media reports. No reliable figures on the number of Germans injured have been provided by the German Foreign Office.
Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa demanded that the incident be "quickly clarified by the relevant authorities". The institute of Legal Medicine could only provide further information after the autopsies. The Lisbon city administration suspended the operation of all three funiculars and ordered immediate inspections.
It is worth noting that the public tender for renovating the "Elevador da Glória" was reportedly concluded in August without awarding the contract, as all bids were deemed too expensive. The company MLT – Mobilidade e Logística Técnica was awarded the contract for the renovation of the historic funicular before the accident occurred.
TV images showed the car lying on its side and completely destroyed, with thick smoke and debris present. The flags in front of the European Parliament were lowered to half-mast as a mark of respect for the victims. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families and friends of those affected by this tragic incident.
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