Lisbon Funicular Disaster Claims 17 Lives in Shocking Crash

Published: 04 September 2025. The English Chronicle Desk

A tragic accident on Lisbon’s iconic Gloria funicular left at least 17 dead and 20 others injured, some critically, on Wednesday evening, as a carriage lost control and slammed into a building along the city’s steep cobblestoned streets. The crash occurred shortly after 18:00 near Avenida da Liberdade, sending shockwaves through the Portuguese capital.

Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic and horrifying. Helen Chow, a visitor from Canada who was at the base of the hill, told the BBC that the carriage “lost control,” descending at full speed before crashing on its side. “It sounded like a bomb, followed by complete scary silence. There was pitch black smoke. Once it dissipated, you saw exactly what happened,” she recalled. People at the scene were frantically running to help, crying, and trying to make sense of the devastation.

Video footage verified by the BBC captured the aftermath, showing the yellow-and-white carriage crumpled against a building, while another train remained stopped at the bottom of the hill. The 140-year-old funicular operates with two carriages attached to a cable that allows one to travel uphill while the other descends, with a brief crossing along the three-minute journey.

Witnesses reported that the lower carriage, starting its ascent, had fallen back shortly before the upper carriage raced downhill into the building. Chow said she had heard a loud screech and watched the bottom carriage make a hard stop past its usual halting point. A passenger on that carriage described the sudden jolt as a “big bang” with black smoke erupting immediately afterward.

People were seen jumping from the tram windows in desperation. “It hit a building with brutal force and collapsed like a cardboard box,” said Teresa d’Avó, emphasizing that the vehicle seemed to have lost all braking capability. “We all started running away because we thought it was going to hit the one below,” she added.

Farid Shovro, a store owner nearby, described the scene as one he would never forget, saying, “I’ve never seen so many people dead together.” Some tourists narrowly avoided the crash. Eric Packer, visiting from the United States, recounted how he and his friends considered taking the funicular just moments before the accident but chose to walk back to their hotel. They heard a loud crash that resembled a falling rock or heavy load, only to realize moments later the full extent of the disaster.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, which has shaken Lisbon and prompted mourning across Portugal. Emergency responders continue to assist survivors and secure the area as the city grapples with one of its most shocking transportation tragedies in recent memory.