Brussels/Madrid – European Union flags were lowered to half-mast in Brussels on Thursday in remembrance of the victims of a tragic funicular railway derailment in Lisbon on Wednesday evening.
“The heartbreaking incident at the Elevador da Glória has profoundly affected Europe,” stated European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on X.
The derailment resulted in at least 15 fatalities and 18 injuries, with the cause still under investigation, as reported by local emergency services.
The Elevador da Glória, inaugurated in 1885, is one of Lisbon’s three historic funiculars, linking the central Praça dos Restauradores square to the Bairro Alto district over a distance of approximately 200 meters.
While primarily a tourist attraction, the funicular also serves locals who find the steep route difficult to traverse on foot.
“My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the injured, to whom I wish a swift recovery,” expressed European Council President António Costa, a former Prime Minister of Portugal.
“I offer my sincere condolences to Portugal and the city of Lisbon,” Costa added.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also conveyed her sympathies to the families affected by this tragedy.
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