On Wednesday evening, a tragic accident happened in Lisbon, Portugal, when the city’s famous Gloria funicular crashed. Around 6pm, one of the yellow-and-white carriages lost control as it came down the steep cobblestoned hill near Avenida da Liberdade. Witnesses said it was moving very fast, like it had no brakes, before it smashed into a building and collapsed.
At least 16 people died and about 20 more were injured, some seriously. People nearby described the sound of the crash as like a bomb, followed by silence and thick black smoke. Many were terrified, crying, and trying to help the victims.
The Gloria funicular is 140 years old and works with two carriages connected by a cable — when one goes up, the other comes down. On the day of the crash, the lower carriage started sliding backwards before the upper one sped downhill and hit the building with great force.
Witnesses inside the funicular said it was very frightening. One passenger said it felt like there were no brakes and that people crashed into each other. Others thought they were going to die. Outside, bystanders ran to help, pulling people from windows and calling emergency services.
Some tourists who had almost taken the funicular just minutes before said they were shocked to see the crash site so soon after leaving.
Portugal has declared a national day of mourning to remember the victims. Police are still investigating the cause, but many witnesses believe the brakes or cable system failed.
Locals and tourists who saw the crash described it as a horrible tragedy that will be hard to forget.
-Peace News Desk