Lisbon — Portugal was reeling Thursday morning in the wake of an unprecedented disaster in the heart of its capital city. Sixteen people were killed late Wednesday afternoon when one of Lisbon's trademark electric streetcars — the Elevador da Gloria funicular — careened off its tracks and slammed into a building .

The funicular, a type of tram usually set on a permanent angle to run up and down a hill or mountain, has carried people about 270 yards up and down a hill in central Lisbon for more than a century. It's hugely popular with tourists, and The Associated Press said about half of the 21 people injured in the crash were foreign visitors.

The Reuters news agency said emergency services had confirmed three other funiculars in Lisbon were undergoing additional safety checks Thurs

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