Tragedy on Lisbon’s Historic Gloria Funicular: 15 Dead, 18 Injured

Lisbon, Portugal, September 3, 2025 - A beloved symbol of the Portuguese capital turned scene of calamity on Wednesday evening when the Gloria funicular railway derailed and crashed, killing at least 15 people and injuring 18 others, emergency medical services reported.

The accident occurred around 18:15 local time as the yellow, tram-style car descended the steep 265 m incline between Restauradores Square and Bairro Alto. Video footage showed the carriage mangled against a building while rescue teams worked into the night extracting trapped passengers. Officials confirmed five of the injured are in critical condition and that several foreign nationals were among the casualties.

Mayor Carlos Moedas described the incident as “devastating” and announced a period of official mourning, while President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa pledged a swift probe into the derailment’s cause. Law enforcement and the prosecutor general’s office have launched a formal inquiry, standard procedure following public transport disasters.

The Gloria funicular, inaugurated in 1885 and designated a national monument in 2002, carries roughly 3 million passengers annually and is one of three funicular lines managed by the municipal transport agency Carris. Each of its two cars holds up to 40 passengers and operates on a counterweighted cable system driven by electric motors. Authorities confirmed that all maintenance protocols-including daily inspections and monthly servicing-had been followed, but the exact trigger for the derailment remains under investigation.

Local hospitals, including São José and Santa Maria, have received the injured. The city’s tourism sector, which sees a summer influx of visitors drawn to Lisbon’s historic charm, faces profound shock as officials and citizens alike mourn the worst transport disaster in recent memory. Continuous updates are expected as investigators piece together the events leading to Wednesday’s tragedy.