An American college professor has been identified among the 16 victims of the Gloria funicular disaster in Lisbon, Portugal. Professor Heather Hall, a mother of two from the College of Charleston in South Carolina, was in Portugal for a conference when the accident occurred.
The funicular lost control, derailed, and crashed into a building during rush hour on Wednesday at 6 p.m. local time. More than 20 people were injured, with five still in serious condition. Among the deceased were five Portuguese nationals, three British citizens, two Canadians, two South Koreans, and one each from France, Switzerland, and Ukraine.
Hall's family described her as 'a beloved daughter, sister, mother, educator, and advocate' who passed away doing what she did best. She earned her doctorate from the University of South Carolina and later taught at her alma mater, specialising in special education. The Dean of the School of Education at the College of Charleston called her death 'a tragic loss'.
Portuguese authorities are treating the incident as an accident, with the exact cause still unknown. The government expressed condolences, calling it 'a tragic accident' that left the country in mourning. The Gloria funicular, one of Lisbon's three historic cable railways, is 140 years old.
