Incident Report on Lisbon Tragedy: Connection Lost on Fatal Monorail Line
In the heart of Lisbon, at 6:03 PM, a cable car accident on the steep Calçada da Glória street shook the city. The accident, involving a cable car operated by the Swiss company Von Roll, resulted in 16 fatalities and 21 injuries, some serious.
The cable car, which had been in service for about six years, was due to be replaced in less than nine months. According to the GPIAAF report, the cable in question had been in use for 337 days prior to the accident. The cable, connecting both cars, detached from the accident vehicle shortly after the start of the journey.
The cable, consisting of six strands, each with 36 steel wires and a fiber core, with a total diameter of 32 millimeters, gave way at the attachment point on the upper part of the accident vehicle. It is suspected that the pressure air brake system either failed or was insufficient.
The operator, who is usually the only employee on board, applied both the pressure air brake and the hand brake, but these measures had no effect. The cable's breaking load is approximately 68 tons, far exceeding the weight of the cable car and its passengers.
The accident took place at a curve, causing the train to derail, collide with a street lamp post, a cast iron utility pole, overturn, and crash into a building. The wreckage of the vehicle was found to be only debris after the accident.
Among the victims were 11 foreigners, hailing from Switzerland, Ukraine, France, the United States, South Korea, Canada, and Britain. One initially believed-to-be-dead German was later found alive but seriously injured in a hospital.
This type of accident involving one of the three funiculars had not occurred in Lisbon before. Further investigations are necessary to clarify how the cable detached from the vehicle. A detailed report is expected in 45 days, with a comprehensive final report due in one year.
Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those affected by this tragic event. The city of Lisbon and its people are resilient, and we stand together in this difficult time.
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