A fatal derailment of Lisbon’s Glória Funicular during rush hour on Wednesday reportedly took the lives of at least 15 people and injured 18. A child is said to be among the injured.
Fabiana Pavel, president of the Bairro Alto Residents’ Association, is placing blame on “excessive tourism” leading up to the tragic train incident.
“The use of it in recent years is certainly inappropriate,” he told BBC News . “It was used too much and the population lost the ability to use it as public transport, because it became a tourist attraction.”
The cable-pulled tram, which has carried residents and tourists for generations, came off the tracks before crashing into a nearby building.
The Glória Funicular has long been a tourist draw.
It connects Lisbon’s downtown with the Bairro Alto distr