Tragically, the bereaved parents of one of the victims had previously endured the loss of another child, a heartbreaking event that occurred two years prior.
In the heart of Lisbon, a somber gathering took place as hundreds of people paid their respects to Ana Paula Lopes, one of the victims of the tragic Elevador da Glória accident. The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, was among those in attendance.
Ana Paula, a native of Vergaño, Proença-a-Nova, was a dedicated worker at Lisbon's Santa Casa da Misericórdia. Tragically, she lost her life in the accident that occurred on the iconic elevator. The preliminary report, released by the Department of Prevention and Investigation of Air and Rail Accidents (GPIAAF) on Saturday, provided some insights but did not reveal the cause of the cable giving way.
The report confirmed that the cable connecting the two cabins of the Elevador da Glória gave way at its point of attachment inside cabin number 1. It also stated that the guard applied the brakes in an attempt to stop the movement of the derailed cabins. However, the condition of the cable before the accident and the cause of its failure remain unknown.
The report did not mention any maintenance issues related to the Elevador da Glória before the accident, nor did it provide any information about a neighbour mentioned in a SIC Notícias report or about a family having another child two years earlier.
Ana Paula leaves behind her husband and daughter. A former guard, also from the same area, described her as "very friendly".
The identities of 10 out of the 16 people who died in the accident have been confirmed, and all the Portuguese victims have been identified. However, the number and identities of any foreign victims have not been disclosed.
The preliminary report is a first step in understanding the causes of the Elevador da Glória accident. As the investigation continues, the hope is that answers will be found to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
