Portugal: Authorities Investigate Cable Car Accident

Authorities in Portugal are investigating the causes of the cable car accident in Lisbon, which killed 17 people and injured 21. The Portuguese Civil Protection Agency announced that the victims and injured include citizens from 10 different countries.

According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred when one of the cable car carriages, traveling a 265-meter route with a 17% incline, crashed into a building 30 meters before the end of the route. Reports suggest that the cable connecting the two carriages may have snapped or detached, leading to the carriage's fall.

Elinan Chaves, a Lisbon resident, stated that the cable car's maintenance was systematic. Ilias Soukiadis, a Greek resident of Portugal, mentioned that the government has appointed an independent committee and the Prosecutor's Office will investigate the causes of the accident.

The "Elevador De Gloria" cable car line, inaugurated in 1885, is a national monument and transports 3 million passengers annually. A three-day national mourning period has been declared in Portugal.