Lisbon’s iconic Gloria cable car derails in tourist district
A preliminary report has attributed the Lisbon funicular crash on Wednesday, September 3, to the failure of a steel cable and various maintenance flaws.
The tragic incident resulted in 16 fatalities, including 11 foreigners, and left 21 people injured.
Investigators found that the underground steel haulage cable, which was less than a year old, was not adequately strong, certified for public transport, or installed according to manufacturer specifications.
The report also highlighted five instances where the funicular's maintenance programme referred to "non-existent, inapplicable or outdated standards."
Following the cable's breakage, safety systems cut power, disabling the pneumatic brake and proving the manual brake insufficient to prevent the streetcar from derailing and crashing into a building.