On the evening of Wednesday, September 3, 2025, Lisbon’s iconic Glória funicular—an enduring symbol of the city for 140 years—became the site of one of Portugal’s most devastating tragedies in recent memory. The historic cable railway, which daily ferried locals and tourists between Restauradores Square and Bairro Alto, derailed and crashed into a building, claiming sixteen lives and injuring at least twenty-one more. Among the dead were citizens from across the globe, a somber testament to the funicular’s international appeal and the scale of the loss.
As reported by Sky News and corroborated by the BBC, the victims included five Portuguese nationals, three British citizens, two Canadians, two South Koreans, one American, one French, one Swiss, and one Ukrainian. The accident has left Portugal in shock, with Prime Minister António Costa describing it as “one of the biggest human tragedies of our recent history.” The aftermath has seen an outpouring of grief, anger, and soul-searching from the Lisbon community and beyond.
The Gloria funicular, instantly recognizable for its bright yellow carriages and steep, electrified track, had long been a trusted mode of transport. On that fateful Wednesday, it was packed with commuters and tourists when disaster struck. According to the Office for Air and Rail Accident Investigations, the two cabins had traveled “not more than about six metres” before they “suddenly lost the balancing force provided by the cable connecting them.” The cable, investigators found, had given way at the attachment point to the cabin at the top of the hill. This sudden failure set off a catastrophic chain of events: one carriage reversed abruptly and stopped only after partially leaving the track, while the other accelerated uncontrollably down the slope, its brakes unable to halt its descent. The result was a violent collision with a building at a bend in the road.
Among those lost was Andrew David Kenneth Young, known as Dave, an 82-year-old lifelong transport enthusiast from Holyhead, Wales. His family, in a statement released by North Wales Police, shared, “It is a comfort to his sons, their mother, and his brothers that his final moments were in pursuit of the hobby which gave him so much happiness.” Kayleigh Smith, a theatre director, and her partner Will Nelson, a lecturer at Manchester’s Arden School of Theatre, were also among the British victims. The BBC noted that Smith had shared photos of their trip to Lisbon on social media just hours before the crash, a poignant reminder of how quickly lives can change.
The tragedy struck particularly hard at the Santa Casa da Misericórdia, Portugal’s largest charity, which lost four employees in the crash. A memorial service held at a church next to the charity’s headquarters drew a crowd so large that people filled the aisles and every available space. Colleagues wept and supported one another, struggling to process the loss. Sonia Silva, who narrowly missed boarding the funicular that evening due to a last-minute work task, told the BBC, “I can’t express [how I feel]—it’s very difficult. I am grateful but at the same time I’m very, very angry because my colleagues and lots of people died.” She recounted her daily rides with her friend Sandra Coelho, now gone: “It’s very difficult because I’m not going to see her anymore.”
Other employees remembered included Pedro Manuel Alves Trindade, a former volleyball referee and leader in Lisbon’s volleyball community, and Alda Matias, who worked in strategic planning. Rui Franco, a city councillor and friend of Matias, reflected, “She had a family, children and I can’t imagine if it was me what would be happening to my family. She was a great person… with a very solid way of acting in the world.” The pain was palpable among staff and friends. “We’re always thinking about our colleagues and wondering ‘did they suffer?’” said Lurdes Henriques. “They could be here with us now. We are deeply, deeply sad.”
The international dimension of the tragedy extended to Canada, where the deaths of Blandine Daux and André Bergeron, two valued members of Quebec’s culture and communications ministry, were confirmed. Bergeron’s brother Eric described the couple as “a super nice couple, they were in love, it’s heart-breaking. My brother was a happy man, they were a happy couple.” In the United States, the College of Charleston mourned Heather Hall, a special educator described as a “tireless advocate for equity, representation, and belonging.” Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina paid tribute to her dedication and positive impact on the community.
Portugal’s transport unions and workers voiced long-standing concerns in the wake of the crash. The leader of the Fectrans rail workers union claimed that staff had previously reported issues with the tension of the cable that hauls the carriages, making braking difficult. Some workers and regular riders described the funicular as “always overcrowded,” while others speculated about poor maintenance. The brake guard on duty, André Jorge Gonçalves Marques, was among the dead. His employer, Carris, remembered him as “a dedicated, kind and happy professional, always willing to contribute to the greater good.”
In the days following the disaster, many regular users of the funicular expressed their reluctance to ever ride it again. “I’ve told everyone I’m not going to use it anymore,” said Sonia Silva, echoing a sentiment shared by many in the shaken community. The funicular, once a symbol of Lisbon’s charm and resilience, had become a source of fear and sorrow.
As the investigation continues, Portugal’s Office for Air and Rail Accident Investigations is preparing both preliminary and final reports to clarify the exact sequence of mechanical failures and human factors involved. On Thursday, September 4, 2025, Portugal’s health service reported that six of the injured were in intensive care, with others suffering minor to severe wounds. The full list of victims, including a Ukrainian man and a French woman whose deaths were confirmed by their respective foreign ministries, is still being finalized as details emerge.
For now, Lisbon grieves and waits for answers. The Gloria funicular, a beloved fixture of the city’s landscape, stands silent—its future uncertain, its legacy forever marked by tragedy.
