Historic Lisbon train derails in deadly crash at tourist hotspot

CNN:

The first light over Lisbon revealed the shattered remains of the Gloria funicular, its distinctive yellow carriages in ruins after it derailed and crashed on Wednesday killing at least 15 people and injuring 23.

Since 1885, the cable railway has carried locals and visitors up and down a few hundred meters of a steep cobbled street that links Restauradores Square, a lively plaza commemorating Portugal’s independence from Spain, to the Bairro Alto district.

But on Wednesday, just as the evening rush hour was starting, one of its two cars derailed and plummeted down the street before crashing into a building, local media reported.

Footage showed frantic rescue efforts as some passengers were pulled from one of the destroyed cars while others clambered through the windows of another further down the track amid heavy smoke.

A three-year-old boy from Germany was pulled from the debris by a police officer. The boy’s father died in the crash and his mother remains in critical condition, CNN Portugal reports.

At least 23 were injured in the crash, authorities told local media. Those injured include five people in serious condition and an unknown number of foreign nationals, Portugal’s National Institute for Medical Emergencies said.