Tributes paid to victims named in Lisbon funicular crash that left 16 dead

Prime minister Luis Montenegro says it ‘is one of the biggest human tragedies of our recent history’

Tributes have been paid to a “kind and dedicated” worker on the funicular that derailed and crashed into a building in Lisbon, killing at least 16 people.

Andre Jorge Goncalves Marques, a brake guard who worked on the Gloria funicular railway, was on Thursday named as one of the victims of the crash in the Portuguese capital that also left 23 people injured.

Other victims named on Thursday included former volleyball referee Pedro Manuel Alves Trindade and lawyer Alda Matias.

Carris, the company which operates the funicular, said in a statement that Marques had “performed his duties with excellence” and had been an “outstanding representative” of the company.

Flowers left in tribute to the victims of the crash in Lisbon (AFP via Getty Images)

“His courage and professionalism, recognised by all, came to a tragic end with the loss of his life in the accident that claimed his life,” they said.

They described him as a “dedicated, kind and smiling” professional who was “always willing to contribute to the greater good”.

Portuguese transport union Sitra also paid tribute to Marques. “We also send our condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the accident and wish them a speedy recovery as well as the best recovery to the others injured in the accident,” the company said in a post on Facebook.

“This is one of the biggest human tragedies of our recent history,” Luís Montenegro, the prime minister, said of the crash, as he revised the death toll to 16 after authorities previously said 17 people had died.

Portuguese transport union Sitra also paid tribute to Marques (AP)

Trindade was named as a victim by the Portuguese Volleyball Federation. The organisation said it was “deeply saddened by the tragedy”.

Misericordia de Lisboa Santa Casa, a charity which supported disabled people and orphans, said four of the Portuguese victims identified so far were its staff members. One of them was Matias, Portuguese media reported.

The BBC reported that ombudsman Paulo Sousa wrote to employees: "It is in shock that we all find ourselves. We lost colleagues, friends, people with whom we shared our daily lives and our mission.”

All the people who died were adults, Margarida Castro Martins, head of Lisbon's Civil Protection Agency said.

Officials said they believed two Canadians, one German, one Ukrainian national and one American were also thought to be among the dead.

So far, at least 10 nationalities were confirmed among the people injured. They include 12 women and seven men between the ages of 25 and 65.

A three-year-old German boy was among the survivors pulled from the carriage where his father reportedly died, and his mother was among 22 other people who were injured.

As well as Portuguese people, two Germans, two Spaniards and one person each from France, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, Morocco, South Korea and Cape Verde were among the injured, the agency head said.

The UK Foreign Office told The Independent it is on standby to provide assistance if any British nationals are affected.

Seven of those injured are in serious condition. The injured were men and women between the ages of 24 and 65.

So far, at least 10 nationalities were confirmed among the people injured. (AP)

Emergency workers rushed to pull people out of the wreckage after the cable car crashed at around 6pm on Wednesday.

Pathologists at the National Forensics Institutes worked overnight on autopsies, officials said.

The Portuguese Institute of Blood reinforced the blood reserves of hospitals that responded to victims in the crash and also activated a contingency plan, the country’s news agency Lusa reported.

First responders work at the site of a funicular accident in Lisbon (Reuters)

The government said the tragic accident “caused irreparable loss of human lives, which left their families in mourning and the country in shock”.

“The government has decided to declare a day of national mourning as an expression of the Portuguese people's condolences and solidarity.”

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also offered his condolences and solidarity to the families affected and said authorities are working to establish the cause of the incident.

Investigative bodies have now finished assessments at the site of the crash and will publish initial findings and the direction the investigation will take tomorrow.

City mayor Carlos Moedas also confirmed funicular operator Carris has been asked to open internal and external investigations.

Initial reports suggest the cable for the funicular came loose. Following the incident, Lisbon City Council suspended three other funicular cable railways – the Bica, Lavra and Graça.

The system’s two cars, each capable of carrying around 40 people, run parallel to each other as they shuttle up and down the hill on a curved, traffic-free road.

The railway, which opened in 1885, is operated by the municipal public transport company Carris.

Carris head Pedro Goncalo de Brito Aleixo Boga reiterated that the funiculars have been working properly since 2007, and technicians check them regularly to make sure there are no problems. All findings are recorded.

Maintenance costs have more than doubled between 2015 and 2025, he added.