British couple killed in Lisbon funicular pictured smiling together before tragedy

Kayleigh Gillian Smith, 36, and William Nelson, 44, were among 16 killed in the crash

A British couple killed in a funicular crash in Lisbon on Wednesday have been named as Kayleigh Gillian Smith and her boyfriend William Nelson.

The pair were in the carriage of the Gloria funicular that derailed and careered down a hill before smashing into a hotel in the heart of the Portuguese capital’s tourist district.

Smith, 36, a theatre director, and Nelson, 44, a lecturer, died alongside an 82-year-old British man, and 13 others. A further 22 were injured, five of whom remain in serious condition in hospital.

The couple were from Cheshire and on holiday in Lisbon.

Kayleigh Gillian Smith, 36, and William Nelson, 44, died in the funicular crash in Lisbon. The picture was posted by Smith just hours before the crash (Instagram)

Hours before their deaths, they shared pictures of themselves smiling at popular tourist sites including Sao Jorge castle.

MADS Theatre in Macclesfield posted a tribute on Friday night saying: “It is with great sadness that we must acknowledge the death of Kayleigh Smith and her partner Will Nelson in the Lisbon funicular tragedy.

“Kayleigh was a valued member of our society and made considerable contributions both to MADS and to drama in the North West. It is indeed a sad loss to all of us at the theatre.”

In a statement, Cheshire Police said they were supporting the families of two residents of the North West area following the tragedy.

They added formal identification had not yet taken place.

A Cheshire Police spokesperson said: “We can confirm that two of the individuals who died following the funicular incident in Lisbon are believed to be residents from North West area.

“While formal identification is yet to take place, the families of the two individuals, a 44-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman, have been notified and are being supported by specialist officers at this time.

The funicular crashed in the capital on Wednesday evening (Getty)

“The families have requested for their privacy to be respected.”

The Gloria funicular, which is 140 years old, was packed with passengers when it came off the rails killing five Portuguese nationals, three British citizens, two Canadians, two South Koreans, one American, one French, one Swiss and one Ukrainian.

Portugal’s prime minister Luis Montenegro described the incident as “one of the biggest tragedies of our recent past”.

Investigations are underway into the cause of the crash, with the government’s office for air and rail accident investigations saying it has completed its analysis of the wreckage. It is expected to release a preliminary report next week.

A No 10 spokesperson said prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is “deeply saddened” that three British nationals died.

He went on: “His thoughts are with their families and those affected by this terrible incident. We stand united with Portugal during this difficult time.”

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the families of three British nationals who have died following an incident in Lisbon, and are in contact with the local authorities.”