(Adnkronos) – A day of national mourning has been declared in Portugal after at least 15 people died yesterday in the derailment and crash of Lisbon’s ‘Gloria’ funicular. An emergency services spokesman said some foreign nationals were among the victims. At least 18 people, including a child, were injured, five of them seriously, including an Italian woman who suffered a broken arm. The prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the causes of the disaster.
A statement from the office of Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said the tragedy “brought grief to families and dismay to the country”. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed regret over the incident and hope that authorities will soon be able to determine the cause of the accident. The line, inaugurated in 1885 and classified as a national monument, connects the central area of Lisbon, near Praça dos Restauradores, with Bairro Alto, known for its lively nightlife.
