An Italian woman, aged 52, currently undergoing training at the University of Lisbon, narrowly avoided a tragic accident involving the Elevador da Glória that resulted in 17 deaths and over two dozen injuries late Wednesday afternoon, along with her 13-year-old son.
She shared with Corriere della Sera that she was walking through Lisbon with her son when the accident occurred. Paola, an employee of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Salerno, explained that they had planned to take the tram but postponed it to visit the Hard Rock Café.
As they eventually approached the site of the Elevador da Glória, they were met with the scene of the accident.
“We saw the firefighters and the police arriving. The elevator had just crashed into a building. We stood there in shock, at the barriers. We saw the firefighters retrieving bodies from the wreckage. It was a terrible scene. I don’t think I’ll ever ride a tram again,” she said.
The Italian believes that her deceased father was watching over them. “We are in shock. It was my father protecting us from the sky,” she stated.
The Elevador da Glória derailed on Wednesday afternoon, September 4, resulting in the death of 17 people. There are also 21 registered injuries, some of which are in critical condition.
