Lisbon, Sept. 4, 2025 (Lusa) - João Ferreira, a Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) councillor on the Lisbon City Council, expressed his condolences on Thursday for the 16 victims of the Glória funicular disaster, which took place on Wednesday, and called for the causes and responsibilities to be investigated quickly.
"I want, on behalf of the PCP councillors, on behalf of the CDU coalition, to express our deep and heartfelt condolences to the victims of this tragedy, 16 of them dead, more than 20 injured, and to wish a speedy recovery to all those hospitalised," said the communist councillor, speaking this afternoon at the entrance to the Lisbon City Hall building.
The accident caused 16 deaths and around two dozen injuries of various nationalities.
According to the communist councillor, "it is essential to find out the causes and responsibilities as quickly as possible", criticising the option of "privatising and outsourcing maintenance services".
"The option to privatise and outsource maintenance services has changed a reality that has been maintained for more than 100 years. For more than 100 years, Carris workers have ensured the operation of this equipment and its regular maintenance. During all this time, this has allowed for a company culture, knowledge, know-how, which has been passed down from generation to generation of workers," he emphasised.
João Ferreira recalled that "soon after outsourcing, the workers warned of maintenance problems", mentioning the accident in the Bica funicular and the derailment of the Glória funicular in 2018, which, although without serious consequences, "was the result of the wheels wearing out".
"It's not a question of anticipating conclusions, which only the process of establishing the cause of responsibility will allow us to draw; this cannot be left out of the discussion that we now have to have. We'll be bringing several of these concerns and aspects that need to be discussed. To that extent, the extraordinary town hall meeting, which will take place next Monday, on the initiative of the PCP councillors, and which has been called today, fulfils an important role," he pointed out.
The mayor also defended the need for "rapid inspections" of the Bica, Lavra and Santa Justa lifts, to "give the population back the tranquillity and safety they need".
The Glória funicular in Lisbon derailed on Wednesday at 18:04.
The government has decreed a day of national mourning today, while the Lisbon City Council has decided to adopt three days of municipal mourning.
The Glória funcular connects Restauradores to the Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara in Bairro Alto, on a route of approximately 265 metres, and is very popular with tourists.
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