A faulty cable that did not meet safety standards caused the Lisbon funicular crash in September that killed 16 people, an official inquiry has found. The Elevador da Glória, a 19th-century tourist attraction, derailed and crashed into a building on 3 September, shocking the Portuguese capital.
Portugal's air and rail accident investigations bureau (GPIAAF) said the cable linking two cabins snapped shortly before the accident. Its preliminary report, released on Monday, stated that the cable did not comply with specifications required by the city's transport operator, CCFL.
The GPIAAF recommended that Lisbon's other funiculars remain out of service until their braking systems are confirmed capable of stopping the cabins in the event of a cable break. All funiculars have been grounded since the accident.
Among the 16 victims were 11 foreign nationals, including three UK citizens, two South Koreans, two Canadians, one Frenchwoman, one Swiss, one American, and one Ukrainian. About 20 people were injured, including three Britons. The Portuguese victims included four staff members from a social care institution near the top of the hill.
The Glória funicular, which opened in 1885, uses a counterweight system to move two wagons along a 265-metre track. A routine inspection on the morning of the crash found nothing unusual about the cable that snapped. The driver activated the brakes, but they could not stop the carriage without the counterweight system's help.
The GPIAAF's final report, with safety recommendations, is expected within a year. An intermediary report may update the public on the inquiry's progress.
