At Least 15 Dead in Lisbon Derailment

At least 15 people were killed and 18 others were injured Wednesday in a horrific accident on Lisbon's famous Elevador de Gloria electric streetcar. The car on the funicular cable railway, which carries people up and down a steep hillside, derailed, and crashed into a building in the city center, the Telegraph reports. The mayor of the Portuguese capital declared three days of mourning, reports the BBC. "It's a tragedy of the like we've never seen," Carlos Moeda said. "Lisbon is in mourning." The streetcar is one of the city's main tourist attractions, and authorities say foreigners are among the dead.

Witnesses said the yellow-and-white streetcar, which can carry more than 40 passengers, was seen careening down the hill, apparently out of control, the AP reports. The accident happened around 6pm, during the start of the evening rush hour. The Lisbon Firefighters Regiment said it was caused by "a cable that came loose" in the funicular's structure, reports the New York Times. The Gloria, one of three funiculars in Lisbon, opened in 1885. It is classified as a national monument.