Gloria funicular crash in Lisbon kills 15, leaves dozens injured

Portugal is morning after 15 people were killed when the major Gloria funicular derailed in Lisbon on Wednesday, September 03, 2025. 

At least 18 others were injured and five are in serious condition,the emergency service verified that some foreign citizens were among the victims, but their identities have not yet been released.

Lisbon’s mayor, Carlos Moedas, described it as “a tragic moment for the city” and visited hospitals where survivors are being treated. Portugal’s government has declared a public day of mourning, while the President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed condolences and solidarity with the families.

Emergency response and investigations the derailment happened around 6:05 p.m. near Avenida da Liberdade, one of the capital’s busiest sections. Emergency service worked for hours to free passengers trapped inside the wreckage.

The driver, Carris, said the funicular had experienced all needed checks, including diurnal, daily, yearly, and major four monthly conservation. Still, observers reported that the brakes appeared to fail, causing the vehicle to speed downhill and crash into a structure. Examinations are now under way transport safety authorities, criminal police, and Carris.

Videos shared on social media showed that yellow carriage almost completely destroyed, with smoke and debris filling the narrow street.

One passenger told Portuguese newspaper Observador, “It was out of control, without brakes. We all started running be we allowed. It would crash into the other auto.”

Another witness said the vehicle struck a structure “with brutal force and collapsed like a cardboard box.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Spain’s Prime Minster Pedro Sanchez sent messages of sympathy, calling crash a tragedy for Portugal and Europe.

The major Gloria funicular opened in 1885 and electrified in 1915, the Gloria funicular is one of Lisbon’s best know landmarks and protected public monument. It connects Restauradores Square with the Bairro Alto quarter, climbing 275 (900 feet) measures in just three minutes.

Each of its two cars can carry further than 40 passengers, at this time of year, it’s heavily used by both residents and tourists. As deliverance operations concluded, investigators continued to search for the cause of the disaster.