Türkiye extends condolences to victims of funicular tramway crash in Portugal

By Efe Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye extended its condolences Thursday to those who lost their lives in a crash of Lisbon, Portugal’s historic funicular tramway.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of lives caused by the funicular crash that occurred yesterday (3 September) in Lisbon, Portugal,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry wrote in a statement.

“We extend our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and to the people of Portugal,” the statement read.

On Wednesday, the capital's historic funicular derailed and crashed into a building on Rua da Gloria.

The accident took place shortly after 6 pm local time (1600GMT) as the funicular was descending from the Sao Pedro de Alcantara viewpoint toward Restauradore.

Two of the injured passengers who had been hospitalized died, raising the death toll from the accident to 17, the Civil Protection Service announced.

A total of 23 people from 10 nationalities were reportedly injured, including Portuguese, German, Spanish, Korean, Cape Verdean, Canadian, Italian, French, Swiss, and Moroccan.

The government declared Thursday a day of national mourning.

While the accident is believed to have been caused by a broken cable, the exact cause remains unknown as investigations continue, according to broadcaster RTP.