On the evening of September 3, 2025, Lisbon’s iconic Glória funicular, a beloved tourist attraction, became the scene of a devastating tragedy. The 140-year-old cable railway, connecting Restauradores Square to the vibrant Bairro Alto district, derailed just after 6 p.m., killing at least 16 people and injuring 22 others. Among the chaos, football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was reportedly spotted clutching his young son, adding a deeply personal dimension to the horrific event.
The Glória funicular, a national monument since its opening in 1885, is a symbol of Lisbon’s charm, carrying around 3 million passengers annually. Its two yellow carriages, each capable of holding 42 passengers, operate in tandem, counterbalanced by a haulage cable powered by electric motors. On that fateful evening, witnesses described a nightmarish scene as the upper carriage lost control, hurtling down the steep 265-meter slope at an estimated 60 km/h (37 mph). “It hit the building with brutal force and fell apart like a cardboard box,” said Teresa d’Avó, a local, to Portuguese TV channel SIC. The lower carriage jolted backward, injuring passengers but avoiding a collision.
Preliminary investigations point to a catastrophic failure of the cable connecting the two carriages. A report by Portugal’s air and rail accident investigations bureau (GPIAAF) revealed that the cable snapped at its attachment point, and despite the brake guard’s attempts to engage both pneumatic and manual brakes, the descent could not be stopped. A scheduled inspection that morning had failed to detect any issues, as the faulty section of the cable was not visible without dismantling.
Among the victims were five Portuguese nationals, including André Jorge Gonçalves Marques, a dedicated brake guard for Carris, the funicular’s operator. Other victims included three Britons, two South Koreans, two Canadians, one American, one Swiss, one Ukrainian, and one French national. The injured included a three-year-old German boy, pulled from the wreckage by a police officer. Four employees of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia charity, located near the funicular’s route, were also among the deceased, underscoring the tragedy’s impact on the local community.
Eyewitness accounts paint a harrowing picture. Rasha Abdo, a Swiss tourist in the lower carriage, described the terror as it accelerated backward: “There were no brakes… it was like there was no control.” Locals and tourists alike rushed to aid victims, with emergency services extracting survivors within hours. Ronaldo, reportedly near the scene with his son, was seen visibly shaken, clutching the child tightly as emergency crews worked.
Portugal declared three days of national mourning, with flags at half-mast across Europe. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro called it “one of the biggest tragedies in our recent history,” vowing a thorough investigation. Carris, which insists maintenance protocols were followed, has suspended all funicular operations for inspections. As Lisbon grieves, the crash has left an indelible mark on a city known for its vibrant spirit, with questions lingering about safety and accountability.
