At least 15 people have been killed after Lisbon's world-famous Gloria Funicular cable railway derailed and hit a building
Eighteen others have been injured, including a child – here's what we know so far
The cause of the crash is not known – one witness said they saw the carriage "out of control, without brakes", another said it "collapsed like a cardboard box"
Some of those killed were foreign nationals, authorities say
The railway, which opened in the 19th Century, connects Lisbon's downtown with the upper quarter, and is popular with tourists
Tourism is central to Portugal's economy – this will horrify people, writes Alison Roberts from Lisbon
This video can not be played
Emergency crews surround derailed Portugal funicular
Edited by Alex Smith, with Alison Roberts reporting from Lisbon
At least 15 people have been killed after Lisbon's world-famous Gloria Funicular cable railway derailed and hit a building.
The crash happened at around 18:15 local time (18:15 BST). Eighteen people have been injured and taken to hospital, authorities say, including one child.
Everyone trapped inside has been freed, but emergency workers and forensics staff are continuing to comb through the scene of the crash into the night.
We've not yet had official confirmation of what caused the crash. An eyewitness has told the Portuguese TV channel SIC that the funicular hit a building as it sped down the steep street "at full speed", AFP news agency reports.
"It hit a building with brutal force and collapsed like a cardboard box; it had no brakes," the woman said.
The company that operates the trams has said it is "very sorry about what happened" and that they "need to get to the bottom" of it. The Portuguese government has declared Thursday a day of national mourning, while Lisbon city has announced three days of mourning.
We're ending our live coverage now. Here's everything you need to know about the crash, and you can continue to follow updates in our news story.
This video can not be played
Video verified by the BBC shows people running after the funicular derails
The BBC has verified videos circulating on social media showing the aftermath of the crash.
In one video, the debris of the funicular can be seen next to a building, with smoke filling the area and people running.
Another video shows people removing the debris of the funicular, which has been broken into pieces.
The Gloria Funicular can carry up to 43 passengers and is extremely popular with tourists.
It is not known how many people were onboard at the time of the collision, however.
Portugal's emergency medical service authority says at least 15 people have been been killed and 18 others injured.
It's not clear if they were passengers or pedestrians.
Though all the victims have now been transported to the hospital, emergency personnel are still monitoring pieces of overturned wreckage.
Here are the latest pictures from the scene.
Alison Roberts
Reporting from Lisbon
Carris, the company that runs Lisbon's trams and funiculars is going to open its own investigation, following tonight's terrible incident.
It also says its regular maintenance, which is carried out every four years, was last done 2022. Its interim maintenance was conducted last year, and regular monthly and weekly checks also took place.
As far as the company knows, everything was done according to the book, it says.
But one of the unions representing Carris employees has expressed concerns that not enough maintenance has been carried out. Carris denies this is the case.
The transport accident investigation department is going to open its own investigation – and the criminal police are already on the scene.
This is clearly a very serious incident.
A witness tells Portuguese TV channel SIC that the funicular, which can hold around 40 people, hit a building as it sped down the steep street "at full speed", AFP news agency reports.
"It hit a building with brutal force and collapsed like a cardboard box; it had no brakes," the woman says.
Spain's Prime Minster Pedro Sanchez says he is "appalled by the terrible accident" that occurred in Lisbon tonight.
"All our affection and solidarity with the families of the victims and with the Portuguese people in this difficult moment," he writes in a statement on X.
"And our wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured people."
Are you in the region? If it is safe to do so, get in touch.
You can contact us in the following ways:
At the crash site, first responders in hazmat suits are photographing the mangled funicular and the street around it.
The blue lights from the emergency vehicles are flashing as fire crew and forensic officers in white overalls work at the site.
You can watch live the scene at the top of the page.
The 18 people injured in the crash have been taken to hospital, a Portuguese emergency services spokesperson says.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed her condolences on social media
"It is with sadness that I learned of the derailment of the famous Elevador da Glória," von der Leyen writes in a post on X, adding: "My condolences to the families of the victims."
Separately, European Parliamentary President Roberta Metsola says: "Europe stands in solidarity with the victims, their loved ones and the entire community in Lisbon."
The funicular in Lisbon pictured in 2023
A funicular is a type of railway system that allows travel up and down steep slopes.
The two cars on the Gloria Funicular are powered by electric motors.
They are attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable meaning that as one travels downhill, its weight lifts the other, allowing them to ascend and descend simultaneously.
We've just been hearing from Pedro Bogas from Carris, the Lisbon Tramways Company.
It's a "very a sad day, not just for the victims but also for their families," he says.
"We are very sorry about what happened," he says. "Today is a day of consternation."
General upkeep of the funicular is done every four years, he says, with the last one taking place in 2022.
He adds that there were daily inspections of the funicular.
"We have strict protocols, excellent professionals for many years, and we need to get to the bottom of what happened," he says.
A Gloria carriage, pictured in March
Alison Roberts
Reporting from Lisbon
In the last hour or so, the ambulances have stopped arriving, and the people who were trapped inside the carriage of the funicular have been brought out.
The forensics team are now photographing the scene and parts of the Gloria Funicular.
We haven't had official confirmation about what caused the accident – but at moment, the presumption is that something went wrong with the braking system, which would have involved the cable that runs under the surface of the steep road.
These funicular cabs move by gripping onto the cable – so if anything happened to that cable, it would be a very serious situation.
Tourism is central to Portugal's economy, in particular Lisbon's. The Portuguese are going to be very shocked by this because they want their foreign visitors to be safe. This will horrify people.
The system has been operating for almost 150 years, but clearly something went very wrong today.
It's now into the evening time in Lisbon – let's take a look at some of the latest pictures from on the ground.
More now from Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas, who in a post on X announces three days of mourning for those killed in the crash.
"I extend my heartfelt condolences to all the families and friends of the victims. Lisbon is in mourning," he writes.
The funicular crash took place on a popular tram line in the centre of Lisbon, close to the train station and the Restauradores public square.
This tram line takes people from the square to the picturesque cobbled streets of an area called Bairro Alto.
Emergency services are at the scene of the crash of Lisbon's Gloria Funicular.
Several people were earlier trapped but have since been freed, authorities have said.
You can watch video from the scene earlier today below.
This video can not be played
More now from the update from authorities in Lisbon.
Emergency services say that they "can't confirm the nationalities, but there are foreigners" killed in the crash.
They also confirmed that some Portuguese nationals are among those who have died.
Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.