Cable snapped earlier than crash, investigators say

[ad_1] Alison Roberts & Henri Astier BBC Information, in Lisbon and London

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/1692/live/b6e4a9e0-8b57-11f0-bc53-038b81db70b3.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/1692/live/b6e4a9e0-8b57-11f0-bc53-038b81db70b3.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/1692/live/b6e4a9e0-8b57-11f0-bc53-038b81db70b3.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/1692/live/b6e4a9e0-8b57-11f0-bc53-038b81db70b3.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/1692/live/b6e4a9e0-8b57-11f0-bc53-038b81db70b3.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/1692/live/b6e4a9e0-8b57-11f0-bc53-038b81db70b3.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/1692/live/b6e4a9e0-8b57-11f0-bc53-038b81db70b3.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/1692/live/b6e4a9e0-8b57-11f0-bc53-038b81db70b3.png.webp" loading="eager" alt="Reuters Wreckage of the funicular that crashed in Lisbon on Wednesday" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Reuters One of many two cabins hurtled down the steep street, derailed and crashed right into a constructing

Portuguese officers investigating Wednesday's lethal funicular crash in Lisbon say a cable alongside the railway's route snapped, however the remainder of the mechanism was functioning correctly.

"After analyzing the wreckage on the web site, it was instantly decided that the cable connecting the 2 carriages had given approach," a press release by the nationwide transport security workplace mentioned.

The brakeman tried to use emergency brakes however failed to stop the derailment, the investigators add.

Sixteen folks died and about 20 had been injured when the higher carriage of the long-lasting yellow Glória funicular railway crashed right into a constructing.

5 of these killed had been Portuguese together with three Britons, two South Koreans, two Canadians, an American, a Ukrainian, a Swiss and a French nationwide, police mentioned.

The 140-year-old funicular is designed to journey up and down Lisbon's steep slopes, and is a crucial type of transport for the town's residents - and a well-liked vacationer attraction.

Though the brakeman activated the pneumatic brakes and a handbook brake when the cable got here unfastened, it isn't clear whether or not one other, automated brake got here on because it was presupposed to, the report states.

It says the carriage was travelling at about 60km/h (37mph) when it hit the constructing.

The seven-page assertion additionally says the cable was solely 337 days into its anticipated 600-day operational life.

It's nonetheless unclear what number of victims had been travelling on the carriage - which might maintain about 40 passengers - and what number of had been on the road, the doc states.

Six of these injured had been admitted to intensive care, whereas three sustained minor accidents.

The investigators stress they haven't reached "legitimate conclusions" about the reason for the crash and can present a full preliminary report inside 45 days.