LISBON: The Portuguese capital, which is teeming with tourists yet relies on charming but deteriorating infrastructure, has lost some of its “old charm” when a historic cable car derailed in Lisbon, killing at least 16 people.
A twisted wreckage with bodies trapped inside was left behind after a railcar on Wednesday veered off the track at a corner and struck a building only meters from its twin at the base of the steep 265-meter hill. The traction cable that connected them had broken.
A car constructed of a more contemporary material, like carbon fiber, as opposed to metal and wood, which has been the design since 1914 when the line was electrified, according to Jorge Silva, vice-president of the Portuguese Association of Civil Protection Technical Experts.
