The Director of the Criminal Police (PJ), Luís Neves, announced that information gathered from accommodation records and relatives, who contacted the PJ through a dedicated hotline, has made it “highly likely” to identify and determine the nationalities of five victims.
While the Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the identification of eight victims, three remain unidentified, according to Neves.
Speaking at a press conference at the PJ headquarters in Lisbon, Francisco Corte Real, the Director of the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (INMLCF), revealed that 16 autopsies have been completed on the deceased victims.
Corte Real stated that 37 INMLCF personnel were involved in the “continuous work” of autopsies and body identification, concluding the last autopsy this afternoon.
Digital prints facilitated quicker identifications in some cases, whereas others require collaboration from family members residing abroad to acquire genetic profiles or dental records, which may delay the process, he explained.
Autopsied bodies, now identified, are ready for release. In cases where identification is incomplete, Corte Real assured that the institute would continue working overnight to finalize genetic profiles.
Neves emphasized the importance of the PJ’s dedicated hotline, which received approximately 200 calls in the initial hours, aiding victim identification and providing family support and guidance.
The PJ’s head noted that the crime scene investigation has concluded, yet refrained from speculating on the derailment’s causes due to insufficient information.
“Many have perished; it is a difficult time for everyone, and we deployed all resources promptly to seek answers. Investigations are dynamic. In previous painful situations, we expressed immediate perspectives; this time, no such perspective exists, and discussing the nonexistent is futile,” he stated.
Questioned about the possible presence of a camera inside the elevator and available footage, Neves did not confirm but mentioned the PJ’s possession of all relevant elements, promising thorough analysis to uncover facts.
The Glória Elevator in Lisbon derailed on Wednesday, resulting in 16 deaths and approximately 20 injuries.
The Government declared a national day of mourning, observed today.
The Glória Elevator, managed by Carris, connects the Restauradores to the São Pedro de Alcântara Garden in Bairro Alto, covering approximately 265 meters and is a popular tourist attraction.
