Lisbon’s tram kills 15 people and derails 18 injured

Lisbon, Portugal (AP) — One of Lisbon’s big tourist attractions, a picturesque streetcar, derailed Wednesday, killing 15 people and injuring 18 people, emergency services said.

Five of the injured were in serious condition and the child was among the injured, the National Institute of Medical Emergency Research said in a statement. An unknown number of foreigners said they were among the injured.

Authorities call it an accident, the worst in the city’s recent history, and surprised the appeal of Lisbon to millions of foreign tourists who arrive each year.

Known as the Elevedor da Gloria, a yellow and white tram that went up and down parallel steep downtown hills as they lay on the narrow road that followed.

Its sides and top were partially crumpled, appearing to have hit a building that was turning the road. Parts of the mostly metal vehicle were crushed.

Dozens of paramedics were on the scene, most of them stood up about two hours later.

Witnesses told local media that the tram ran down the hill and was clearly out of control. One witness said a tram fell on the sidewalk by a man.

Carris, the tram-operating company, said the scheduled maintenance was undertaken.

President Marcelo Rebello de Souza expressed his sadness for the affected families, and Lisbon Mayor Carlos Modus said the city is in mourning. “It’s a tragedy we’ve never seen,” Modus said.

The Portuguese government announced on Thursday that a day of mourning for its citizens will be observed. “The tragic accident has caused irreparable losses of human lives, mourning families and disappointing the nation,” the statement said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also expressed her sadness. “It was sad to learn that the famous Elevedor da Gloria was derailed,” she wrote in X in Portuguese.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known. He reportedly said that the incident at the start of evening rush hour was about 6pm, when all casualties were pulled out of the wreckage in just two hours.

The government said once the rescue operation is over, an investigation into the cause will begin.

Technically known as sex, the trams are used with steel cables and can carry over 40 people sitting and standing. It is also commonly used by Lisbon residents. The service up and down hundreds of meters (yards) of curved road hills with no traffic was established in 1885.

It is classified as a national monument.

Lisbon hosted around 8.5 million tourists last year, with long tourists being formed due to short rides on the popular streetcars.