A British couple killed in a funicular crash in Lisbon on Wednesday have been named as Kayleigh Gillian Smith, 36, and William Nelson, 44. The pair were in the carriage of the Gloria funicular when it derailed and careered down a hill before crashing into a hotel in the Portuguese capital's tourist district.
Smith, a theatre director, and Nelson, a lecturer, died alongside an 82-year-old British man and 13 others. A further 22 people were injured, five of whom remain in serious condition in hospital. Hours before their deaths, the couple shared pictures of themselves smiling at popular tourist sites including Sao Jorge castle.
MADS Theatre in Macclesfield paid tribute, saying: 'It is with great sadness that we must acknowledge the death of Kayleigh Smith and her partner Will Nelson in the Lisbon funicular tragedy. Kayleigh was a valued member of our society and made considerable contributions both to MADS and to drama in the North West.'
Cheshire Police confirmed they are supporting the families of two residents from the North West area. A spokesperson said: 'While formal identification is yet to take place, the families of the two individuals, a 44-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman, have been notified and are being supported by specialist officers at this time. The families have requested for their privacy to be respected.'
The 140-year-old Gloria funicular was packed with passengers when it came off the rails, killing five Portuguese nationals, three British citizens, two Canadians, two South Koreans, one American, one French, one Swiss and one Ukrainian. Portugal's prime minister Luis Montenegro described the incident as 'one of the biggest tragedies of our recent past'.
Investigations are underway into the cause of the crash. The government's office for air and rail accident investigations said it has completed its analysis of the wreckage and is expected to release a preliminary report next week. A No 10 spokesperson said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is 'deeply saddened' that three British nationals died, adding: 'His thoughts are with their families and those affected by this terrible incident.'
