Cable snapped earlier than crash, investigators say

Portuguese officers investigating Wednesday’s lethal funicular crash in Lisbon say a cable alongside the railway’s route snapped, however the remainder of the mechanism was functioning correctly.

“After examining the wreckage at the site, it was immediately determined that the cable connecting the two carriages had given way,” a press release by the nationwide transport security workplace mentioned.

The brakeman tried to use emergency brakes however failed to forestall the derailment, the investigators add.

Sixteen individuals died and about 20 have been injured when the higher carriage of the enduring yellow Glória funicular railway crashed right into a constructing.

Five of these killed have been Portuguese together with three Britons, two South Koreans, two Canadians, an American, a Ukrainian, a Swiss and a French nationwide, police mentioned.

The 140-year-old funicular is designed to journey up and down Lisbon’s steep slopes, and is a crucial type of transport for the town’s residents – and a well-liked vacationer attraction.

Although the brakeman activated the pneumatic brakes and a guide brake when the cable got here free, it isn’t clear whether or not one other, computerized brake got here on because it was alleged to, the report states.

It says the carriage was travelling at about 60km/h (37mph) when it hit the constructing.

The seven-page assertion additionally says the cable was solely 337 days into its anticipated 600-day operational life.

It continues to be unclear what number of victims have been travelling on the carriage – which may maintain about 40 passengers – and what number of have been on the road, the doc states.

Six of these injured have been admitted to intensive care, whereas three sustained minor accidents.

The investigators stress they haven’t reached “valid conclusions” about the reason for the crash and can present a full preliminary report inside 45 days.

Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro described the incident as “one of the biggest tragedies of our recent past”.