The families of a British couple who died in a Lisbon funicular crash have expressed their heartbreak. Kayleigh Smith, 36, and William Nelson, 44, were among 14 people killed when the Elevador da Glória derailed and crashed into a building on Wednesday night.
Smith, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, was a funeral operative and theatre director. Nelson worked as a theatre director in Manchester. In a statement, Smith's family described her as 'loved for her wit and humour' and said her 'kind and caring nature came to the fore in her work'. Nelson's brother called him 'my hero' and said 'the world does not feel right without him'.
The accident also left 21 people injured, five seriously. Victims included citizens from Portugal, Britain, South Korea, Canada, the US, Ukraine, Switzerland, and France. A German citizen initially thought dead was later found alive in hospital.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro called it 'one of the biggest tragedies in our recent history'. Investigators have found no evidence of sabotage, leaving mechanical failure or maintenance issues as possible causes. The Glória line carries about three million passengers annually.
