At least fifteen people have reportedly died and 23 people, including one child, are injured after the Gloria funicular derailed and crashed during rush hour in Lisbon, Portugal.
The incident happened around 6.05pm local time on Wednesday evening (5.05am Thursday NZT), near Avenida da Liberdade, one of the main arteries in the heart of the capital city.
Emergency services are still on the scene as several remain trapped inside.
About 43 people were reportedly on board the funicular when it went off the rails and crashed in the centre of Lisbon.
Footage on social media shows people fleeing the area on foot and the funicular toppled and crashed.
🚨BREAKING: The famous Elevador da Glória funicular derailed in the heart of Lisbon, Portugal, leaving at least 20 injured, according to preliminary reports. pic.twitter.com/MaxxDNQcMG
— World Source News 24/7 (@Worldsource24) September 3, 2025
According to local media, a cable came loose and caused the funicular to go off the rails and crash into a building.
JUST IN: Lisbon's iconic Gloria Funicular derails, causing injuries pic.twitter.com/d57zhaKCtV
— BNO News Live (@BNODesk) September 3, 2025
People, children included, could reportedly be heard crying as they emerged from a thick cloud of dust after the funicular hit the building on Rua da Gloria, next to the busy Rossio station in downtown Lisbon.
A witness speaking to Portuguese media said the funicular travelled at full speed and hit the building “at full force”, collapsing “like a cardbox box”.
The nationalities of the victims are yet to be released but it is suspected there are a number of foreign nationals involved.
Only one of the deceased has been named so far. He was André Marques, the funicular’s breakman.
Among the injured there is a three-year-old German child. The Observador newspaper says the child’s father died and the mother is critically injured.
A spokesperson for MFAT told the Herald that “the Ministry is monitoring the situation, but at this point have had no indication that any New Zealanders were involved“.
Carris, the transport company responsible for managing and maintaining Elevador da Glória, has launched its own investigation into the incident and stated that “monthly, weekly and daily inspection maintenance programmes have been scrupulously followed”.
However, one union representing Carris employees has reportedly expressed concerns that not enough maintenance has been carried out.
The last general maintenance was carried out in 2022 with interim repairs reportedly undertaken in 2024.
“The city of Lisbon is in mourning,” mayor Carlos Moedas told media, calling it an “unprecedented tragedy”.
He said it was “a very difficult day for all of us”.
Moedas met with the President of the Republic of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, around 11pm on the same day and will meet with the country’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro tomorrow.
The Gloria funicular is one of the most emblematic symbols of Lisbon. It was built in 1885 and goes up one of Lisbon’s many steep hills, travelling 275m to connect Restauradores to Bairro Alto.
Gloria Funicular is the most used funicular in the city and transports more than three million people annually. It was classified as a National Monument on February 2002.
A National Day of Mourning has been declared in Portugal for tomorrow.
This is a developing story. More to come.
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