One Canadian among 21 injured in fatal Lisbon funicular accident

A Canadian citizen was among the 21 people injured in a fatal streetcar crash in Portugal’s capital city, the head of Lisbon’s Civil Protection Agency told reporters, The Canadian Press is reporting.

Authorities in Lisbon are still trying to determine how the historic Elevador da Glória funicular derailed and crashed into a building on Wednesday evening.

The death toll from the tragedy climbed to 16 on Thursday after two of the injured died in hospital, according to the Associated Press.

National Post has contacted Global Affairs Canada to confirm a Canadian was on board and injured.

Victims ranged from a three-year-old toddler to adults up to age 65, some from Portugal, while many were tourists from throughout Europe, South Korea and Cape Verde.

Emergency crews had all the people extracted from the grisly crash site within two hours.

The Elevador da Glória, one of three in the city, is a 19th-century national monument and a major tourist draw in Lisbon, linking Baixa to Bairro Alto. At its summit is Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, a historic terrace offering panoramic views of the city.

“It lets you turn a steep climb into a romantic moment and was opened in 1885 as the second of its kind in the city,” the city’s tourism website describes it. “Although it was only electrified in 1915, it still retains its original characteristics.”

O Elevador da Glória descarrilou e tombou esta quarta-feira, junto à Avenida da Liberdade, em Lisboa. Segundo os bombeiros sapadores, o acidente provocou “muitas vítimas”, incluindo feridos graves. pic.twitter.com/ADWpR5c8oe

— Mundo Vivo (@mundo__vivo) September 3, 2025

Carris, the company that operates the streetcar, said regular maintenance had been performed and pledged full cooperation with the investigations underway. The city’s other funiculars are out of service while they undergo inspection.

Portuguese President Marcel Rebelo de Sousa declared a national day of mourning on Thursday while Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas decreed three days of “municipal mourning.”

“I extend my heartfelt condolences to all the families and friends of the victims,” Moedas wrote on X.

Lisboa está de luto. Este é um momento trágico para a cidade.As equipas da CML – Regimento de Sapadores Bombeiros, Proteção Civil e Polícia Municipal – bem como os Bombeiros Voluntários, a PSP e o INEM, estão no local a prestar socorro. As vítimas foram encaminhadas para o…

— Carlos Moedas (@Moedas) September 3, 2025

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