On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondentsGet a weekly dispatch from our international correspondentsGet a weekly international news dispatchAuthorities launched a rescue operation to save those trapped under the wreckage of an iconic electric streetcar after it derailed and crashed, killing 15 people and injuring 18 others, emergency services in Portugal said.One child is among the injured, while five people are in a serious condition, the National Institute for Medical Emergencies said in a statement. An unknown number of the injured are foreigners, it said.The yellow-and-white streetcar, which is one of Lisbon’s major tourist attractions and travels up and down a steep downtown hill in tandem with another going in the opposite direction, was lying on its side on the narrow road it travels along, television channels showed.Its sides and top were partially crumpled, and it appeared to have crashed into a building where the road bends. Several dozen emergency workers attended the scene but most stood down after about two hours.The wreckage of the ‘Gloria’ funicular that derailed and crashed (Reuters)Eyewitnesses said children and some people were still under the tram, which careened down a steep hill before colliding with a building. Rescue operation continued through Wednesday as Portugal’s emergency services tried to find more survivors.It remains unclear how many people were on board when the cable railway crashed near Avenida da Liberdade. Director of Portugal’s Civil Protection, Margarida Castro Martins, suggested the accident may have been caused by issues with “the cables and the operational balance of the trams”.However, an investigation into the causes will begin once the rescue operation is over, the Portuguese government said in a statement.Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas told reporters at the scene that the city was distraught over the incident. “This was a tragic accident … It’s a tragedy of the like we’ve never seen.”President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa offered his condolence to affected families. The Portuguese government has declared Thursday a day of national mourning, while Lisbon city has announced three days of mourning. The cause of the accident was not immediately known. It reportedly occurred at the start of the evening rush hour, around 6 pm.The streetcar that crashed, known as Gloria, can carry more than 40 people, seated and standing. It is commonly used by Lisbon residents. The cars are attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable with traction provided by electric motors on the two vehicles.The car at the bottom of the line was apparently undamaged, but video from bystanders aired by CNN Portugal showed it jolting violently when the other one derailed and several passengers jumping out of its windows and people shouting.Operator Carris said “all maintenance protocols have been carried out”, including monthly and weekly maintenance programmes and daily inspections. A spokesperson for Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it was in touch with the local authorities and stood by “to provide consular assistance if there are any affected British nationals”.Lisbon hosted around 8.5 million tourists last year and the streetcar is a popular attraction. Long lines of tourists typically form for the brief ride on it.
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Portugal declares day of mourning as 15 dead in tragedy on iconic Lisbon funicular
