Overview

• Portugal’s accident investigation office (GPIAAF) reports the subterranean cable linking the two cars failed at its fixation point on the derailed cabin.
• Authorities confirm 16 people died and 23 were injured in Wednesday’s crash on the Elevador da Glória.
• The brakeman activated pneumatic and manual brakes, which operated but could not slow the unbalanced descent that culminated in a collision.
• Investigators estimate the first impact occurred at about 60 km/h and that the sequence unfolded in under 50 seconds.
• The cable had been in service 337 days of a typical 600-day life; a preliminary report is due in 45 days as a criminal probe and an internal audit proceed and the site remains closed with other funiculars suspended for inspections.