"Antonio Azevedo was in central Lisbon early on Wednesday evening, waiting to gather enough tourists for a ride in his tuk-tuk, when he heard what sounded like dozens of glass containers being dropped into rubbish trucks. The driver looked around Restauradores Square but saw no trucks, only smoke rising from the lower station of the Elevador da Gloria funicular railway, 100 metres from where his vehicle was parked."
"I remember looking around the crying and the screaming gave way to complete silence, said the 45-year-old driver. There was a mountain of bodies that were not asking for help. They no longer moved; some were torn apart. I had never seen anything like it. Mohammad Farid rushed down from his souvenir store in Restauradores Square to help. But for many, it was already too late."
A Gloria funicular tram derailed in central Lisbon and crashed into a building on Avenida da Liberdade, causing mass casualties. Local drivers and shopkeepers rushed to help amid smoke, screams and chaotic scenes, encountering many victims already dead or fatally injured. Rescuers and emergency services attempted to assist but were soon ordered to stop moving wreckage for safety and investigation. Officials confirmed 16 deaths and 21 injuries. By the following morning the crash site was covered with flowers and candles, and the government declared a national day of mourning to honour the victims.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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