A Brazilian citizen, one of the 22 injured in the derailment of the Elevador da Glória in central Lisbon, recounted the “panic sensation” felt when he saw a cabin uncontrollably coming towards him.
Speaking to the TV Globo’s ‘Fantástico’ program, Gustavo Scofano explained that he typically avoids the Elevador da Glória area due to its usual influx of tourists. However, he decided to pass through on Wednesday last week and was nearly hit by the cabin.
“I had a very clear feeling that I was going to die because the tram was so close, so near… I threw myself to the ground with great force. I immediately thought I was going to be crushed,” he said in an interview aired on Sunday.
“There was a loud crash. I looked ahead and saw the tram coming towards me, but diagonally. The tram was so close, so near me. And just the time to turn and throw myself down seemed impossible. I did it, and immediately there was a cloud of dust and debris. I got up and realized there was blood on my arms, I touched my face, there was blood on my face, my hair, my shirt, and I was covered, covered in blood,” he added.
Gustavo sustained injuries to his arms, back, and face and required stitches in a hospital. However, the worst scar is the “feeling of panic.”
“I think at this moment (the scar) is that never-ending sensation of panic and a tremendous distress, and the recurring images,” he said. “Thank God I didn’t die, but there’s a huge weight that remains.”
@g1 Tragedy in Lisbon – Last Wednesday, Lisbon came to a halt. The tram of the Elevador da Glória derailed, leaving 16 dead and dozens injured. In #Fantástico som original – g1
It is to be noted that the Elevador da Glória, located in central Lisbon, derailed at 6:04 PM on Wednesday at Calçada da Glória. The accident resulted in 16 fatalities and over 20 injured.
On Friday, the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) confirmed “the nationalities of the 16 fatal victims” of the accident, who were “scientifically identified with the collaboration of the Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal e Ciências Forenses.”
The casualties include five Portuguese, two South Koreans, one Swiss, three British, two Canadians, one Ukrainian, one American, and one French individual.
Among the injured taken to the hospital were at least ten different nationalities: four Portuguese, two Germans, two Spaniards, one Korean, one Cape Verdean, one Canadian, one Italian, one French, one Swiss, and one Moroccan. They were comprised of 12 women and seven men, aged between 24 and 65 years.
The Consulate of Brazil in Portugal also reported two Brazilians injured in the accident. In a press conference, the Executive Director of the Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS), Álvaro Santos Almeida, on Thursday, indicated that they were two men, one of whom resides in Portugal.
The Elevador da Glória is managed by Carris and connects the Restauradores to the Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara in Bairro Alto over a 276-meter route, being highly popular with tourists.
