Elevator of Gloria malfunctioned in 2018, attributable to a technical glitch
The Elevador da Glória, a major tourist attraction in Lisbon, derailed once again on Wednesday, resulting in 15 deaths and at least 23 injuries, with five in critical condition. This tragic incident occurred almost five years after the elevator's previous derailment in 2018, which fortunately had no casualties.
The Elevador da Glória, connecting Praça dos Restauradores to Bairro Alto, was inaugurated in 1885. In 1926, its operation passed from Companhia de Ascensores Mechanicos de Lisboa to Companhia de Carris de Ferro de Lisboa. The vehicles of the Elevador da Glória were scheduled to resume operation on June 11, 2021, with guarantees of perfect safety and functioning conditions for the next two years, according to Inês Andrade, the head of Carris.
However, the exact cause of the 2023 derailment is yet to be determined by authorities. The signs of lack of maintenance were visible to the naked eye, with the protruding parts of the wheels of the cars being worn out. António Carloto, a member of APAC, suggested that this wear and the derailment without consequences in 2018 indicate negligence. He also warned that future derailments might not have the same outcome.
Following the 2023 derailment, Carris brought forward the general maintenance of the elevator. The renewed defects are believed to have caused the wheels of the elevator to jump out of the tracks, leading to the tragic incident.
In 2018, the car did not topple over but went off the tracks and rested on the sidewalk. Some individuals predicted the worst after the 2018 derailment, but the derailment in 2023 was a grim reminder of the potential dangers that could have been avoided with proper maintenance.
At the time, the company did not report the accident or respond to the daily newspaper's questions. The Lisbon City Council, under the mandate of Fernando Medina that year, did not provide any clarification about the 2023 Elevador da Glória incident.
This is not the first incident involving the Elevador da Glória; it derailed once before on May 7, 2018. The 2018 derailment caused the elevator to be out of service for approximately a month.
The authorities are currently investigating the cause of the derailment and the role of maintenance in preventing such incidents. The people of Lisbon and its visitors hope for a swift resolution and the restoration of the Elevador da Glória to its former safety and functionality.
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