Source: Google Earth (background image)
The New York Times
The vintage Lisbon funicular that crashed on Wednesday, killing at least 16 people, lost control when one of its two yellow-and-white carriages hurtled into a building.
The funicular, one of Lisbon’s most popular tourist attractions, transports passengers to and from the scenic Bairro Alto neighborhood.
The funicular has two interconnected carriages powered by overhead electric cables. The carriages run in opposite directions and are attached by an underground cable system that runs through a pulley at the top of the hill.
The weight of the carriage that travels downhill helps lift the other, and they pass each other midway along the route. Each of the two vehicles on the line can carry about 40 people.
At the site of the crash, the roof of the carriage lay sideways on Thursday beside a jumble of metal pieces and broken wooden seats.
Photo by Pedro Nunes/Reuters
The New York Times
The crash happened near Restauradores Square in the center of Lisbon, Portugal’s hilly capital. The street was cordoned off, but people who gathered at the site left bunches of flowers.