Three Britons killed in Lisbon funicular crash

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

A total of 16 people died when the popular tourist attraction derailed in the centre of the city on Wednesday night.

They were five Portuguese nationals, three British citizens, two Canadians, two South Koreans, one American, one French, one Swiss and one Ukrainian.

A further 21 people were injured, including five seriously.

A Number 10 spokesman said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is “deeply saddened” that three British nationals died.

He went on: “His thoughts are with their families and those affected by this terrible incident.

“We stand united with Portugal during this difficult time.”

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We are supporting the families of three British nationals who have died following an incident in Lisbon, and are in contact with the local authorities.”

The Gloria funicular, which is 140-years-old, was packed with passengers when it came off the rails.

Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro described the incident as “one of the biggest tragedies of our recent past”.

The government’s office for air and rail accident investigations said it has completed its analysis of the wreckage and will release a preliminary report on Friday.

Funiculars are a type of railway system that transport people up and down steep slopes.

The Gloria funicular features two separate yellow carriages which travel between Restauradores Square in central Lisbon and the Bairro Alto area, with journeys taking three minutes.

It is electrified and uses steel cables.

The derailment resulted in one of the carriages crashing into a building at a bend in a road.