British theatre director and lecturer killed in Lisbon crash

Theatre director Kayleigh Smith and her partner Will Nelson, a drama lecturer, have been named as British victims of the Lisbon funicular crash.

MADS Theatre in Macclesfield posted a tribute on Friday night acknowledging their deaths, writing that Ms Smith was "a dear friend to many and will be greatly missed".

The Glória funicular, a popular tourist attraction, derailed and crashed into a building on Wednesday, killing 16.

Nationals of Portugal, South Korea, Switzerland, Canada, Ukraine, France and the US are also among the dead, police said.

A third British victim has yet to be named.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he is "deeply saddened" to hear that three British nationals died in the crash, Downing Street said.

"His thoughts are with their families and those affected by this terrible incident. We stand united with Portugal during this difficult time," a spokesperson said.

It is not known what caused the crash. The capital's public transport operator, Carris, said all funiculars would be inspected and that it had launched an independent investigation.

The 140-year-old carriage derailed at around 18:15 local time (17:15 GMT) near the city's Avenida da Liberdade boulevard.

More than 60 rescue personnel raced to the scene to pull people from the wreckage.

Videos and images of the site showed an overturned, crumpled yellow carriage lying on the cobblestone street.

Portugal's Prime Minister Luís Montenegro called the crash "one of the biggest human tragedies of our recent history" and a national day of mourning was declared.

Officials initially put the death toll at 17 but the number was revised down to 16.

A German citizen was believed to be among the dead but was later discovered to have been in hospital overnight.

Carris said in a statement that it had complied with "all maintenance protocols".

It said that general maintenance took place every four years and was last carried out in 2022.

"Everything was scrupulously respected," company head Pedro Bogas said, adding that maintenance of the funiculars had been carried out by a contractor for the past 14 years.

A funicular is a type of railway system that allows travel up and down steep slopes. In Lisbon, they are a crucial means of navigating the city's steep, cobbled streets.

The city's funicular railways - Glória, Lavra, Bica and Graça - are a popular tourist attraction, as the bright yellow tram-like vehicles snake through the hilly streets.

Glória was opened in 1885 and electrified three decades later.

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