Funicular accident in Lisbon claims lives, preliminary investigation reveals a cable failure as the possible cause.
In a tragic incident that occurred on Wednesday in Lisbon, Portugal, a funicular crash resulted in at least 16 fatalities. The preliminary investigation into the accident was conducted by the Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Accidents in Civil Aviation and Rail (GPIAAF).
The crash involved the Glória funicular's two carriages, which had a connecting steel cable that broke. According to the report published on Saturday, the cable broke shortly after the carriages began their journeys. The scheduled inspection on the morning of the incident found no anomalies in the vehicles' cable or braking systems.
The Glória funicular uses a counterweight pulley system, meaning that when one car descends, the other car can ascend. The two carriages had traveled no further than about six meters when they lost the balancing force provided by the cable. The upper cabin's brakeman applied the pneumatic brake and hand brake after the cable broke, but these actions had no effect in stopping or reducing the cabin's speed.
The cable, which had been installed 337 days prior to the incident, had a defined useful life of 600 days. The report noted that it was not possible to see the condition of the section where the cable broke. The rest of the cable and the pulleys through which it runs were without apparent significant anomalies.
The nationalities of the victims were confirmed in a statement by Portugal's Judicial Police on Friday. Five Portuguese citizens, three Britons, two Canadians, two South Koreans, and individuals from Switzerland, Ukraine, the US, and France were among those killed in the incident.
A full preliminary report into the incident is expected to be published within 45 days. The final report will be published within a year, according to GPIAAF. The manufacturer or responsible engineer for the overhead cable of the Glória funicular is the company "Pirelli."
The first collision occurred at a speed of around 60 km/h (around 37 miles per hour). The carriage at the top of the street increased in speed down the slope and derailed due to the broken cable. The events transpired within a timeframe of less than 50 seconds.
Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those affected by this tragic incident. As more information becomes available, we will continue to update you on the progress of the investigation.
