Lisbon

Oct. 21 (UPI) — A preliminary report released Tuesday about last month’s deadly crash of one of Lisbon’s famed funiculars found that an unapproved underground cable snapped just before the incident.

The Sept. 3 crash of the Elevador da Glória, a 111-year-old two-car funicular that operates the sloping streets of Portugal’s capital, killed 16 people after one of the cars broke free and crashed into a building along the route. More than a dozen other people were injured in the incident.

The preliminary report by Portugal’s Air and Rail Accident Investigations Bureau found that the cause of the crash was an underground cable that snapped, allowing the car at the top of the hill to break free.

Though the cable had a minimum breaking load within the safety parameters of the Glória Funicular, the investigators found the cable was not in compliance with specifications by the city’s transport operator, CCFL.

The haulage cable ran between the two cars and acted as a counterweight between them as one descended the hill and the other ascended from the opposite direction.

The cable broke seconds after the two cars began their 54th trips of the day. While the bottom car abruptly stopped and remained largely in place at the bottom of the hill, the top car lost power and began to increase speed down the hill. According to investigators, the brakeman of the top car attempted to engage the pneumatic brake system, and when that didn’t work, he tried to use the manual brake.

While the brakeman’s maneuvers caused a slight decrease in acceleration, the car was still steadily increasing its speed down the hill. It successfully negotiated the first slight curve in the track, but derailed at the next, sharper bend in the track.

The car then slammed into a building along the route.

Investigators said the haulage cable — multiple strands of twisted steel — showed various breaks in the smaller metal strands that happened at different times.

“The failure occurred progressively over time and involved multiple fracture types,” the report said.

Workers installed the cable between Aug. 26, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2024, as part of what the bureau described as an intermediate repair of the Glória Funicular. This type of cable is commonly used in funiculars, the report said.

However, the manufacturer of the cable said it could not be used with a swivel, a rotating part on the cars that attached them to the cables.

“At this time, it cannot be said whether the use of this type of non-compliant cable intervened, or what intervention it had, in the rupture,” the report said. “And it is certain for the investigation that there were other factors that had to intervene.”

Since the crash, the head of Lisbon’s public transport has been fired and though Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas faced accusations he failed in his oversight of the funiculars, he won re-election Oct. 12, according to the BBC.

He told SIC television the results of the report released Monday “reaffirms that the unfortunate tragedy … was due to technical and not political causes.”

The bureau is expected to release a final report on the crash in September 2026, The New York Times reported.

As Sonia Silva prepared to leave work on Wednesday evening, she was asked by a colleague to help with a quick task.

It meant she missed her regular funicular ride down the hill with a work friend on their commute home from the office in the centre of Lisbon.

When she arrived at the stop a short while later, the funicular had crashed and her friend was dead.

“When I got there, it was a tragedy,” she said.

Sixteen people were killed on Wednesday evening in Lisbon when its iconic 140-year-old Glória funicular derailed and crashed into a building. The Portuguese prime minister has described it as “one of the biggest human tragedies of our recent history”.

Many of those killed were foreign nationals, including three British people whose identities have not yet been announced. Police say five killed were Portuguese – and four of them worked at the Santa Casa da Misericórdia charity, located at the top of the hill.

A service was held on Friday in a church next to the charity’s headquarters, honouring the workers killed in the crash. The service was crowded, with people filling the aisles and any other available space.

As they left, colleagues wept and supported each other as they tried to make sense of what had happened. Several told the BBC that they regularly used the funicular as part of their commute.

Sitting on a bench outside, Sonia said she had worked at the charity for eight years and used the funicular each day.

“I can’t express [how I feel] – it’s very difficult. I am grateful but at the same time I’m very, very angry because my colleagues and lots of people died,” she said.

She said she would travel to and from work each day with her colleague Sandra Coelho.

“I was very fond of her because I always took the funicular with her – going home and in the morning. It’s very difficult because I’m not going to see her anymore,” she said through tears, as colleagues comforted her.

On their commute, she said the two women would gossip and talk about their days.

“We’d talk about colleagues, work, everything. We’d meet in the morning and when we finished,” she said.

Others around the church also mourned the loss of friends and tried to process what had happened.

“It’s awful, we are devastated. It’s difficult to work at the moment,” said Lurdes Henriques.

“We’re always thinking about our colleagues and wondering ‘did they suffer?’ They could be here with us now. We are deeply, deeply sad.”

“It could have been any one of us – all of us used this kind of transport and we felt very confident in it,” said Tania, another worker at the charity.

Rui Franco, a city councillor whose close friend and former colleague Alda Matias was killed in Wednesday’s crash, said he was in shock.

“She was about my age. She had a family, children and I can’t imagine if it was me what would be happening to my family. She was a great person… with a very solid way of acting in the world,” he said.

Mr Franco said he was “already angry” when he first learned of the fatal crash, “then when I understood I knew the people involved, the rage [became] overwhelming”.

While an investigation into the cause of the crash is under way, there was much speculation among mourners.

“It was always overcrowded,” one said, while another blamed poor maintenance.

The leader of the rail workers union Fectrans claimed that some workers had complained that problems with the tension of the cable that hauls the carriages had made braking difficult.

“Even planes fall out of the sky sometimes. Accidents happen,” said another woman.

Several told the BBC that whatever the cause, they could not imagine using the funicular again.

“I’ve told everyone I’m not going to use it anymore,” said Sonia before heading back into the office, flanked by work friends.

Three British nationals were killed in the Lisbon funicular crash, Portuguese police have said.

The Glória funicular, a popular tourist attraction, derailed and crashed into a building on Wednesday, killing 16.

More than 20 people were also injured, with five in a critical condition.

Nationals of Portugal, South Korea, Switzerland, Canada, Ukraine, France, and the US are also among the dead, police said.

It is not known what caused the crash. The capital’s public transport operator, Carris, said all funiculars would be inspected and that it had launched an independent investigation.

The 140-year-old carriage derailed at around 18:15 local time (17:15 GMT) near the city’s Avenida da Liberdade boulevard.

More than 60 rescue personnel raced to the scene to pull people from the wreckage.

Videos and images of the site showed an overturned, crumpled yellow carriage lying on the cobblestone street.

Portugal’s Prime Minister Luís Montenegro called the crash “one of the biggest human tragedies of our recent history” and a national day of mourning was declared.

MOST holidaymakers love a tipple, and one destination in Europe has been crowned the best for boozy breaks.

The Telegraph declared Portugal to be the best destination for drinking as it’s not only “amongst the higher per capita drinkers of wine in the world, they also have some of the cheapest prices”.

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Weighing up the stats like annual alcohol consumption, cheapest capitals for pints and cities with the most bars per capita, Portugal came out on top.

In particular, the country landed in second place when it came to the annual consumption of wine – which was 52.3 litres per person.

Writer Lauren Clark who has relocated to Lisbon added that you can get a glass of wine “for the price of a UK coffee” in the country’s capital.

And the reason that wine is so affordable is because Portugal is covered in vineyards – around 4,700 of them.

Portugal is widely known for producing its very own Port wine in the Douro Valley.

It’s a sweet wine typically served with dessert, and has a high alcohol content usually ranging between 19 and 22 per cent.

When it comes to bagging affordable booze, Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, is especially well-known for it.

According to HikersBay, the price for a domestic beer in the city is €3 (£2.61) and a glass of wine at the table might set you back €5.50 (£4.78).

If anyone decides to pop into McDonald’s for a bite to eat, you can even order a can of Sagres beer to have with your burger and it’s priced just over €2 (£1.74).

Earlier this year, Drinks Merchants even revealed Portugal to be the cheapest place to buy a bottle of wine.

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The average bottle of wine is just £3.91 with the cheapest being as little as £2.53 – in the UK buying a bottle of wine in the supermarket averages £9.36.

You can regularly find cheap bottles of wine in Portugal for under €5 (£4.35) at the supermarket, including Esteva, Evel, and Porca de Murça.

Around the country, there are even attractions dedicated to telling the story of its alcohol production, in Porto, the World of Wine museum even holds free tastings.

The venue has seven museums, 12 restaurants, a bar and café, a wine school and shops.

The seven themed museums in the Wine Experience take guests on an “extraordinary journey from grape to bottle”.

And a new addition called the Pink Palace immerses visitors in the concept of rosé wine.

Time Out described World of Wine as ” basically a big theme park for those who like a tipple (or three)”.

A few years ago, Lisbon was named the best ‘party city’ in Europe thanks to its plentiful number of bars and pubs.

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One of the most famous in the capital is ‘Bar A Parodia’, one of the oldest cocktail bars in Lisbon which visitors have described as “a real treasure”.

Another unique bar in the city is well-known for its live shows and events – and it used to be a brothel.

The bar is called Pensão Amor and is found on one of Lisbon’s promenades and is tucked inside an 18th century building spanning across five floors.

It’s decorated with vintage posters from burlesque shows and punters can enjoy a drink on velvet sofas and armchairs.

It regularly holds events like burlesque presentations, themed parties and even poetry meetings.

Cocktails include a Pornstar Martini which is priced at €11 (£9.57).

Of course, Portuguese pubs and restaurants outside major tourist destinations like Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve will be generally cheaper.

One example of this is Silves in Portugal that used to the be capital of the Algarve.

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Last year, it was revealed as being the most affordable spot in Portugal with the average price of a hotel was around £73, while a beer costs as little as £2.50.

Flights from the UK were under £50, on average – and it’s very pretty too with cobbled streets, cafes and independent shops selling handcrafted gifts and ceramics.

As for getting to Portugal, it’s not that expensive, Sun Travel found return flights to Lisbon from £38 in October – and the flight time is two hours 50 minutes.

A trip to Porto takes even less time at two hours 20 minutes – and you can fly directly from Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, London and Edinburgh.

Plus, here’s more on an underrated Portuguese city an hour from Lisbon – and it’s known for its amazing wine.

And discover the secret side to Portugal crowned one of the best places in Europe to visit this year.

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The Swedish striker joins the London club after scoring 97 goals for Sporting Lisbon over the past two seasons.

Arsenal have signed Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres, bringing an end to the Premier League club’s years-long search for a prolific goalscorer.

Gyokeres completed a move from Sporting Lisbon on Saturday worth a reported 63 million pounds ($85m) and signed a five-year contract.

“Viktor is an exceptional talent and has consistently demonstrated he has the qualities and winning mentality required of a top-level centre-forward. His physicality, intelligence and work ethic make him a perfect fit for our vision,” said Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta.

The 27-year-old striker joins Arsenal after establishing himself after two outstanding seasons in Portugal, in which he fired Lisbon to back-to-back league titles with 97 goals, including 54 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions in the 2024-25 season, outscoring the likes of superstars Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah.

A top-class striker has long been considered the missing element for Arsenal, which came runner-up in each of the last three Premier League seasons. The failure to bring one in during the January transfer window badly undermined its attempts to challenge Liverpool for the title last term.

“The consistency he has shown in his performances and availability have been outstanding, and his goal contributions speak for themselves,” said manager Mikel Arteta. “He is a quick and powerful presence up front, with incredible goalscoring numbers at club and international levels.”

Gyokeres returns to England after joining Brighton as a youth player and later emerging at second-tier Coventry, where his 22 goals helped the team reach the playoff final in 2023.

His record of 40 goals in 97 games for Coventry caught the attention of Lisbon and led to a 20.5 million pounds ($25m) move to the Portuguese club.

His explosive form over the past two seasons has seen frequent speculation about a move to one of European football’s giants, including Manchester United. But Arsenal has won the race for his signature, and the transfer represents a remarkable rise for a player who was first developed at Brommapojkarna, a Swedish club with a reputation for guiding the careers of some of the country’s best emerging talents.

“He was a late developer because he was not the best striker or the best player in Brommapojkarna at age 16, 17, 18, 19,” Dalibor Savic, his former youth coach at the Swedish club, told The Associated Press in November. “If he aims at something, he will achieve it.”

Gyokeres will have to prove he can make the step up to the Premier League after failing to break through at Brighton, a club known for unearthing players like Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister in recent years. He only made eight appearances for the club and was loaned to St Pauli in Germany and Swansea before his permanent move to Coventry.

His performances for Sweden and in the Champions League suggest he will be able to continue that form at Arsenal.

He was the leading scorer in the Nations League, with nine goals, outscoring Cristiano Ronaldo and Haaland, and hit six in eight appearances in the Champions League for Lisbon last season.

A BRITISH tourist has been arrested and extradited to Portugal after a teenager was brutally stabbed to death with a broken bottle in Lisbon.

The 27-year-old fugitive was bundled on a flight back to the Portuguese capital and remanded in custody after losing a battle against his forced return.

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He is expected to stand trial over the killing of Daniel Galhanas, 19, who was stabbed in the neck in the city’s party hotspot Bairro Alto in the early hours of October 14, 2023.

Daniel was reportedly attacked while trying to defend a friend during a violent bust-up between rival groups – one of which included British holidaymakers.

Initial reports claimed the teen’s pal had tried to rob the tourist and his friends as part of a gang of thieves targeting foreigners in the area.

But Daniel’s family strongly deny he had any involvement in criminal activity – insisting he was simply trying to help a friend in trouble when he was fatally attacked.

Footage of the incident shows a man hurling a bottle at Daniel’s friend before picking up the broken glass and stabbing Daniel, who stumbles before collapsing in a pool of blood.

He went into cardiac arrest at the scene and was rushed to São José Hospital by volunteer firefighters – but died shortly after from his injuries.

Video from the night shows chaos erupting on the street near Largo do Calhariz, with a dozen people brawling as cars drive past the carnage.

Confirming the dramatic arrest and extradition, Portugal’s Policia Judiciaria said they had worked with UK police and judicial authorities to track down the 27-year-old suspect.

He is believed to have committed first-degree murder in 2023 in Largo do Calhariz, in Lisbon’s Bairro Alto district.

They said the crime took place between 4am and 5am on October 14, following a violent altercation between two rival groups.

“The victim ended up being hit in the neck with a broken glass bottle, which caused serious injuries and led to his death on the spot,” a spokesman said.

Officers said the suspect and his group fled the scene immediately after the attack.

They explained that a probe led by the PJ’s Lisbon and Tagus Valley Directorate resulted in the suspect being identified and an international arrest warrant being issued.

“The suspect, a foreign national, was eventually located and arrested in the United Kingdom, where he travelled to the day after the murder,” they added.

He has since appeared before judicial authorities in Portugal and been remanded in pre-trial custody.

At the time of the horror attack, local reports named Daniel as the young man seen in a disturbing viral video being stabbed with a glass shard before collapsing.

Police told his devastated family they were hunting an “English tourist” in connection with the killing.

A relative said: “An Englishman throws a glass bottle at his friend, who breaks it. The same individual picks up the pieces of glass and hits Daniel, who stood in front of his friend to defend him.

“The group of Englishmen flee and are chased by Daniel’s friends. He was left behind to faint with a friend, as the video shows.”

The family have repeatedly rejected claims Daniel was linked to a gang, saying he was a local boy from Odivelas who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A volunteer fire team who found Daniel bleeding on the street tried to save him – but later had their own vehicle attacked in a separate incident.

Commander Débora Alves said: “I don’t connect one thing to the other, but, shortly after the murder, a man was arrested for having stoned the window of one of our cars.

“The vehicle was inoperable after the attack.”