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Lisbon Funicular Crash Toll Rises to 17 as Probe Centers on Cable Failure

Scrutiny has shifted to outsourced maintenance following a recently canceled tender.

Overview

  • Lisbon civil protection updated the count to 17 dead and 21 injured, with officials noting 11 foreign nationals among the wounded and confirming one Italian with minor injuries.
  • Investigators cite a ruptured traction or safety cable as the leading hypothesis for the derailment, with possible brake malfunction still under examination.
  • The public prosecutor opened an inquiry and operator Carris launched an internal investigation, as the national transport safety agency deployed teams to collect evidence.
  • Carris says maintenance schedules were met, yet routine work has been outsourced since 2022 to MNTC; the contract expired on August 31 and a new procurement was recently canceled for budget reasons, after unions had raised concerns.
  • The municipality suspended the Bica, Lavra and Graça funiculars for checks and declared a national day of mourning, as the first identified victim was named as brake operator André Jorge Gonçalves Marques.