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This tragic cable car incident in Portugal's capital that took sixteen lives in the start of the ninth month was triggered by a damaged wire, according to the official inquiry issued on the start of the week.

The inquiry has advised that Portugal's capital's similar transports remain out of service until their safety can be fully verified.

Particulars of the Devastating Accident

This accident took place when the historic Glória funicular went off track and crashed into a structure, horrifying the city and sparking significant fears about the reliability of ageing landmarks.

The nation's accident investigation agency (the investigative body) reported that a cable connecting two cars had disconnected moments before the crash on 3 September.

Early Conclusions

This initial document confirmed that the line was not up to the required requirements set by the local transport operator.

The wire did not comply with the standards in force to be employed for the Glória tram.

This 35-page analysis also recommended that the remaining funiculars in the capital must stay suspended until authorities can verify they have sufficient braking systems designed of stopping the vehicles in the scenario of a line snap.

Victims and Casualties

Among the sixteen casualties, eleven were non-Portuguese citizens, comprising 3 UK nationals, two citizens of South Korea, two Canadians, one Frenchwoman, one Swiss national, an citizen of the United States, and one Ukrainian.

The accident also injured about 20 persons, comprising 3 UK nationals.

Among the Portuguese victims featured 4 employees from the same social care institution, whose workplace are situated at the top of the sharp alley used by the inclined railway.

Operational Context

This Elevador da Glória began operation in the late 19th century, using a method of weight compensation to propel its two cars along its 870-foot track up and down a steep slope.

Based on authorities, a regular inspection on the date of the accident detected no anomalies with the line that eventually broke.

This experts also noted that the operator had applied the cable car's brakes, but they were incapable to stop the vehicle without the assistance of the weight compensation system.

The whole event occurred in just under a minute, as stated by the investigation.

Next Steps

The investigative body is anticipated to publish a definitive analysis with operational suggestions within the following twelve months, though an interim update may offer additional details on the development of the probe.