At least 15 people are dead and another 23 injured after a streetcar derailed in Portugal’s capital on Wednesday, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At least five people are in serious condition following the crash in Lisbon, according to the city’s communications department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One 3-year-old child is included in the 23 injured, according to an official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It appears the safety cable on the electric streetcar broke, causing the car to derail, the department said, based on preliminary information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carris, the operator of the streetcar, said that all maintenance protocols were complied with, including daily inspections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mayor of Lisbon declared a three-day period of mourning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I offer my sincere condolences to all the families and friends of the victims. Lisbon is in mourning,” Mayor Carlos Moedas said in a statement.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Portugal’s Prime Minister’s Office also declared a national day of mourning for Thursday, expressing its “deep dismay” over the accident, and said it is in contact with local officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The incident — which happened around 6:15 p.m. local time — remains under investigation. Carris said it immediately opened an investigation along with the authorities to determine the cause of the accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rescue mission lasted around two hours, a Public Ministry official told ABC News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tram cabin that derailed can hold up to 40 people. The famed streetcar, known as the Elevador da Gloria, is a funicular that travels up and down a steep hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “It is with sadness that I learned of the derailment of the famous ‘Elevador da Gl\u00f3ria,'” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “My condolences to the families of the victims.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n All the other funiculars of the city have been suspended for now: Lavra, Gra\u00e7a and Bica, according to an official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n