This photo taken on Sept. 6, 2025 shows tributes placed at the site of the funicular accident in Lisbon, Portugal. According to reports, at least 16 people have died and 21 were injured in the accident on Wednesday at a popular tourist attraction in the capital city of Portugal. (Xinhua/Xun Wei)
LISBON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) — Portugal’s transport accident authority confirmed Saturday that a snapped steel cable caused the Gloria Funicular derailment in downtown Lisbon, killing 16 and injuring 22.
The Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Aircraft and Railway Accidents (GPIAAF) said the cable broke at a hidden fixation point inside Cabin No. 1. Routine visual checks earlier that day could not have detected the flaw.
Although the operator engaged both pneumatic and manual brakes, the system’s design meant they could not stop the cars once the balancing cable failed. Investigators noted that the emergency mechanism cut power and triggered brakes but may not have worked on each car as intended.
The failed cable, installed less than a year ago and still within its service life, had been maintained by an external contractor. The Gloria Funicular is not directly supervised by the national transport regulator, with independent inspections only every four years.
Reconstruction showed Cabin No. 2 recoiled at about 60 kilometers per hour before derailing. A preliminary report is due within 45 days, with final conclusions expected in about a year. ■
A woman mourns for the victims at the site of the funicular accident in Lisbon, Portugal, Sept. 6, 2025. According to reports, at least 16 people have died and 21 were injured in the accident on Wednesday at a popular tourist attraction in the capital city of Portugal. (Xinhua/Xun Wei)
People stand next to tributes in memory of the victims at the site of the funicular accident in Lisbon, Portugal, Sept. 6, 2025. According to reports, at least 16 people have died and 21 were injured in the accident on Wednesday at a popular tourist attraction in the capital city of Portugal. (Xinhua/Xun Wei)
A woman stands next to tributes in memory of the victims at the site of the funicular accident in Lisbon, Portugal, Sept. 6, 2025. According to reports, at least 16 people have died and 21 were injured in the accident on Wednesday at a popular tourist attraction in the capital city of Portugal. (Xinhua/Xun Wei)
This photo taken on Sept. 6, 2025 shows tributes placed at the site of the funicular accident in Lisbon, Portugal. According to reports, at least 16 people have died and 21 were injured in the accident on Wednesday at a popular tourist attraction in the capital city of Portugal. (Xinhua/Xun Wei)
A woman mourns for the victims at the site of the funicular accident in Lisbon, Portugal, Sept. 6, 2025. According to reports, at least 16 people have died and 21 were injured in the accident on Wednesday at a popular tourist attraction in the capital city of Portugal. (Xinhua/Xun Wei)
People stand in front of the site of the funicular accident in Lisbon, Portugal, Sept. 6, 2025. According to reports, at least 16 people have died and 21 were injured in the accident on Wednesday at a popular tourist attraction in the capital city of Portugal. (Xinhua/Xun Wei)
A woman places flowers in tribute of the victims at the site of the funicular accident in Lisbon, Portugal, Sept. 6, 2025. According to reports, at least 16 people have died and 21 were injured in the accident on Wednesday at a popular tourist attraction in the capital city of Portugal. (Xinhua/Xun Wei)
Broken cable caused fatal Lisbon funicular derailment: investigation
