Portugal observed a national day of mourning on Thursday after a deadly derailment of Lisbon’s iconic Gloria funicular left 17 people dead and 21 others injured.

The crash occurred Wednesday evening in one of the capital’s busiest tourist areas, when the yellow carriage veered off its tracks on a steep slope near Liberty Avenue and slammed into a building.

Emergency services confirmed that at least 11 foreigners were among the injured including citizens of Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, South Korea, Morocco, and Cape Verde. Fifteen victims eight men and seven women died on the spot, while two more succumbed to injuries later.

Authorities have suspended the operation of Lisbon’s three other funiculars pending safety checks.

Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas described the crash as “a tragedy that our city has never seen,” while Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said it had brought “grief to families and dismay to the country.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also sent condolences.

Local media reported that a German man was among the dead, while his wife was critically injured and their three-year-old child sustained minor injuries. Germany’s foreign ministry confirmed it was assisting nationals affected by the accident.

Witnesses described the moment of impact as devastating. “The train struck the building with brutal force and collapsed like a cardboard box,” one woman told SIC television.

Lisbon prosecutors have launched an investigation. Pedro Bogas, head of Lisbon’s public transport operator Carris, insisted the funicular had undergone all required maintenance, with its last general service in 2022 and an intermediate check in 2024.

The Gloria funicular, which first entered service in 1885 and was electrified in 1915, is one of Lisbon’s most recognisable landmarks and a popular tourist attraction.