The Mayor of Oleiros, Miguel Marques, remembers André Marques, the tram conductor from the Glória Funicular who hailed from this municipality and perished in the derailment, as a “very dear” and “cheerful” individual.
André Marques “returned to his hometown [Sarnadas de S. Simão] whenever possible and was very dear to this community. He was participative, a good-natured, always smiling person,” the mayor stated in an interview, mentioning that he was a distant relative of the conductor and had interacted with him multiple times.
“André was younger than me, but I knew him and had the opportunity to meet him several times. The last time was about three weeks ago at a local festival,” Miguel Marques shared.
The mayor recounted that he was following the accident on television on Wednesday night when he received an unofficial call informing him that André Marques was the conductor at the time and had died in the accident.
Miguel Marques mentioned that he immediately tried to contact the family, despite the uncertainty, but “the worst happened: the news was confirmed with André’s passing.”
The funeral of the first confirmed victim of the Glória Funicular tragedy is set to take place this Saturday at 6:30 PM, but friends and family of André Marques are already gathering for a final farewell. The Minister of Infrastructure, Miguel Pinto Luz, will attend the ceremony.
On Friday afternoon, the President of the Republic visited the mortuary chapel in the Estrela Basilica, where the wake for the conductor was held.
For now, the Mayor of Oleiros is refraining from planning future tributes to André, emphasizing the importance of “preserving the family’s privacy and respecting their time of grief and mourning.”
Later, in coordination with the family, the municipality may plan something in André Marques’ honor.
