🔗 Share this article

This tragic cable car crash in Lisbon that took sixteen victims in the beginning of September was triggered by a faulty wire, per the formal probe issued on the start of the week.

The investigation has recommended that Lisbon's equivalent vehicles stay out of service until their operational integrity can be thoroughly assured.

Particulars of the Devastating Accident

The crash occurred when the 19th-century Glória funicular left the rails and collided into a building, horrifying the metropolis and sparking significant fears about the safety of ageing tourist attractions.

Portugal's accident investigation agency (the bureau) reported that a line joining two compartments had disconnected just before the tragedy on 3 September.

Early Results

This early report indicated that the wire failed to meet the specified requirements established by the urban public transport company.

This line was not in compliance with the specifications in force to be utilized for the Glória funicular.

The comprehensive document further recommended that all inclined railways in the city must be kept non-operational until experts can verify they have adequate braking systems able of stopping the cabins in the scenario of a wire failure.

Victims and Injuries

Of the 16 casualties, 11 were non-Portuguese citizens, featuring 3 British nationals, two Korean nationals, two Canadians, one citizen of France, one Swiss national, one US national, and a citizen of Ukraine.

This accident also harmed around 20 people, including 3 British citizens.

The Portuguese fatalities featured four employees from the equivalent social care institution, whose offices are positioned at the top of the sheer side road used by the funicular.

Background Information

The Glória first opened in the late 19th century, using a method of balancing weights to drive its 2 cars along its 265-metre route climbing and descending a steep incline.

As per the bureau, a routine inspection on the morning of the incident detected no anomalies with the cable that eventually snapped.

This probers also stated that the conductor had engaged the funicular's stopping mechanism, but they were unable to halt the carriage without the assistance of the balancing mechanism.

The complete incident occurred in just less than a minute, per the investigation.

Upcoming Steps

The investigative body is scheduled to issue a final document with security guidelines within the coming year, though an interim report may offer further details on the status of the probe.