A tourist funicular in Lisbon has crashed, with at least 15 people confirmed to be dead by local police.
The incident, which occurred shortly after 6pm in Portugal's capital, also left around 20 people injured, including a child.
Sixty-two emergency service personnel and 22 vehicles are at the scene, according to the civil protection website.
The Elevador da Glória, which connects Restauradores to Príncipe Real, in Lisbon was practically destroyed, and emergency workers were pulling people out of the wreckage.
A tourist tram in Lisbon has crashed, killing at least three people
|CNN
Portuguese newspaper Observador reported that a cable came loose along the railway's route, causing it to lose control and collide with a nearby building.
The head of Portugal's Civil Protection Authority said that several people were trapped at the scene but are now freed.
The office of Portugal's president has issued a statement expressing his "sympathy and solidarity with the families affected by this tragedy".
It is understood that 43 people were on board the transport system, which carries people up and down a hillside in the Portuguese capital.
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The funicular carries people up and down a hillside in the Portuguese capital
|REUTERS
Some of those killed were foreign nationals, including Portuguese, authorities say, but it is unknown whether any Britons were on board.
A spokesman from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said: "We are aware of this incident in Lisbon and are in touch with the local authorities. We stand by to provide consular assistance if there are any affected British nationals."
The mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, visited the scene and released a statement, writing: "The Lisbon City Council decrees three days of Municipal Mourning for the victims of the tragic accident on the Glória Funicular. I extend my heartfelt condolences to all the families and friends of the victims. Lisbon is in mourning."
The funicular was launched in October 1885, initially operated by a water-powered counterweight system, which was replaced with a steam-powered mechanism by 1886 and later electrified.
The Gloria is one of three funiculars in the Portuguese capital
|REUTERS
The transport system connects downtown Lisbon with the neighbourhood of Bairro Alto along an axis that slopes 17.7 per cent.
The Gloria is one of three funiculars in the Portuguese capital.
The funicular includes two cars that operate in parallel along two axes, descending and climbing simultaneously.
It travels some 275m from Restauradores, a square in the middle of Lisbon, up to Bairro Alto, taking just three minutes to make the journey.
In May 2018, a car derailed due to a lack of maintenance of its wheels, but no one was injured.
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