🔗 Share this article

This deadly cable car incident in Portugal's capital that took sixteen victims in early September was attributed to a damaged wire, per the formal probe issued on Monday.

This investigation has advised that Portugal's capital's similar vehicles stay non-operational until their operational integrity can be thoroughly verified.

Details of the Deadly Event

The crash took place when the historic Glória funicular derailed and crashed into a edifice, shocking the city and highlighting grave fears about the reliability of older visitor sites.

The nation's accident investigation agency (the investigative body) reported that a cable linking two cabins had detached just before the tragedy on the third of September.

Early Findings

This preliminary report confirmed that the line was not up to the required requirements established by the city's public transport company.

The cable did not comply with the standards in force to be employed for the Glória tram.

The comprehensive document additionally urged that other inclined railways in the city must remain non-operational until authorities can verify they have adequate braking systems able of halting the cars in the event of a cable break.

Fatalities and Harm

Among the sixteen casualties, eleven were foreign nationals, featuring three UK citizens, 2 citizens of South Korea, two citizens of Canada, one Frenchwoman, a citizen of Switzerland, one citizen of the United States, and a Ukrainian.

This accident also injured approximately 20 individuals, comprising 3 UK nationals.

Among the Portuguese victims featured 4 workers from the equivalent welfare organization, whose offices are located at the peak of the steep side road serviced by the cable car.

Background Information

The Elevador da Glória began operation in 1885, using a mechanism of weight compensation to move its 2 cars along its 265-metre route up and down a sharp slope.

According to investigators, a routine examination on the date of the accident identified no issues with the line that subsequently failed.

The investigators also noted that the operator had engaged the cable car's braking system, but they were unable to stop the vehicle without the function of the counterweight system.

This entire crash unfolded in merely 50 seconds, as stated by the investigation.

Upcoming Actions

The investigative body is scheduled to issue a conclusive report with operational guidelines within the next year, though an interim report may deliver additional updates on the status of the probe.