At least 17 people have been confirmed dead and 21 others sustained varying degrees of injuries following a rail accident that occurred in Lisbon, Portugal.
Eyewitnesses stated that the facility, set on a permanent angle to run a nearby hill, cannoned off its track and crashed into a building, resulting in the passengers’ death and injuries in the city.
Head of the Lisbon Civil Protection Agency, Margarida Martins, stated that many of those who died as a result of the incident were foreigners, adding that the country had planned a three-day mourning over the incident.
Martins added that after the incident which happened on Wednesday, the government had taken more preventive measures by enabling intensified safety checks in other three funiculars in the country.
Lisbon Mayor, Carlos Moedas, who spoke with gloomy eyes, described the crash as one that has disrupted activities across the city.
He said: “It’s a tragedy we’ve never seen. A tragic accident caused the irreparable loss of human lives, leaving families in mourning and a huge dismay to the whole country.
