On the 3rd (local time) in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, a tram known as the 'funicular,' which is a public transportation mode and a popular tourist attraction, derailed, resulting in 15 deaths and 23 injuries. Among the injured, it is reported that there is one Korean woman.
On the same day, Portugal's SIC television reported in an online article that one of the injured is a Korean woman currently hospitalized at the São Francisco Xavier Hospital. Local media RTP Notícias also mentioned that three of the injured were transported to the São Francisco Xavier Hospital, among whom one was reported to be of Korean nationality.
The accident occurred around 6 p.m., during the rush hour, at the 'Glória Funicular' that moves up and down a steep hill in downtown Lisbon. It is reported that the cable loosened while in operation, causing the vehicle to lose control and collide with a building before overturning.
Firefighters and rescue personnel were quickly dispatched to the scene, and witnesses reported that the tram was speeding down the hill. Among the injured, five are in critical condition, and some are reported to be foreign nationals.
The funicular carries more than 3.5 million passengers annually. The Portuguese government has declared the 4th a day of national mourning due to the accident. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed deep condolences over the unprecedented disaster, and the authorities have begun to investigate the exact cause of the accident.