🔗 Share this article

The tragic cable car crash in Portugal's capital that took 16 victims in early September was triggered by a damaged cable, per the official probe released on Monday.

The probe has recommended that Lisbon's comparable transports remain out of service until their security can be thoroughly confirmed.

Details of the Tragic Incident

The accident occurred when the 19th-century Glória cable car went off track and smashed into a building, horrifying the capital and sparking significant concerns about the security of historic visitor sites.

The country's air and rail accident investigations bureau (the investigative body) noted that a line joining two compartments had detached just before the tragedy on the third of September.

Early Results

The early document indicated that the wire did not meet the specified standards established by the urban transport operator.

This cable failed to comply with the specifications currently applicable to be utilized for the Glória funicular.

This comprehensive report also recommended that the remaining cable cars in the capital should stay out of service until experts can confirm they have sufficient brakes capable of stopping the cabins in the case of a wire failure.

Victims and Casualties

Among the sixteen casualties, eleven were foreign nationals, including 3 British individuals, 2 citizens of South Korea, two citizens of Canada, one French national, one Swiss, an citizen of the United States, and a Ukrainian.

This crash also injured about 20 persons, among them three Britons.

The local victims included 4 workers from the equivalent welfare organization, whose premises are positioned at the summit of the sharp street serviced by the cable car.

Historical Context

This Elevador da Glória first opened in the late 19th century, utilizing a mechanism of balancing weights to move its two cars along its 870-foot track ascending and descending a steep incline.

Based on the bureau, a standard examination on the morning of the incident detected nothing unusual with the line that eventually broke.

This probers also stated that the driver had engaged the funicular's brakes, but they were powerless to prevent the carriage without the function of the weight compensation system.

This whole event occurred in only under a minute, according to the probe.

Upcoming Steps

This agency is scheduled to publish a final analysis with operational recommendations within the next year, though an interim report may provide further details on the status of the investigation.