Sept. 3 (UPI) -- A tram on one of Lisbon's funicular railways derailed Wednesday, killing 15 people and injuring another 18, local authorities said.
The derailment of the Elevador da Glória -- also known as the Glória Funicular -- happened around 6:15 p.m., the English-language Portugal Resident reported, citing SIC Notícias.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro called for a national day of mourning and said an investigation would determine the official cause of the derailment. Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas also ordered a three-day period of mourning, NBC News reported.
Fernando Nunes da Silva, an engineer and former member of the Lisbon City Council, told the Portuguese-language SIC Notícias he believes the tram's traction cable snapped, causing the vehicle to crash into a building along the route.
"From what we can see in the images, it is most likely that a traction cable broke, and when it broke, the brakes that should normally work in a situation like this did not work," he said.
