The president of the Lisbon City Council has ordered municipal companies to immediately suspend operations of the city’s elevators – Bica, Lavra – and the Graça Funicular, alongside conducting technical inspections of these facilities, stated the source in a note sent to Lusa.
The decision by Carlos Moedas follows the derailment this afternoon of the Glória Elevator, which resulted in the death of 15 people and injured 18, with five in serious condition and 13 with minor injuries.
The Glória Elevator is managed by Carris and links the Restauradores to the São Pedro de Alcântara Garden in Bairro Alto, covering a distance of approximately 265 meters and is highly frequented by tourists.
All designed by engineer Raoul Mesnier de Ponsard, the Lavra, Glória, and Bica elevators are also managed by Carris, as is the Graça Funicular.
The Lavra Elevator connects Câmara Pestana Street to Largo da Anunciada (perpendicular to Avenida da Liberdade), while the Bica Elevator links Rua de São Paulo to Largo do Calhariz, and the Graça Funicular connects Martim Moniz to Largo da Graça.
The government has declared a national day of mourning this Thursday, and the Lisbon City Council has declared three days of municipal mourning.
