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The deadly cable car accident in Portugal's capital that took 16 victims in the start of the ninth month was attributed to a faulty cable, according to the authoritative investigation released on Monday.

This probe has advised that Portugal's capital's similar vehicles be kept halted until their security can be fully verified.

Specifics of the Deadly Incident

The accident took place when the old Elevador da Glória went off track and smashed into a structure, stunning the capital and highlighting grave concerns about the safety of ageing visitor sites.

The country's accident investigation agency (GPIAAF) reported that a wire joining two cars had disconnected shortly before the crash on the third of September.

Early Results

The initial analysis indicated that the wire failed to meet the mandatory requirements outlined by the city's transport operator.

The cable did not comply with the standards currently applicable to be employed for the Glória tram.

The 35-page report further advised that other inclined railways in Lisbon ought to remain suspended until authorities can confirm they have sufficient braking systems capable of halting the vehicles in the case of a cable break.

Victims and Injuries

Among the sixteen casualties, 11 were foreign nationals, featuring 3 British citizens, 2 citizens of South Korea, two citizens of Canada, a French national, one Swiss, an American, and a Ukrainian.

The crash also harmed about twenty people, comprising three British citizens.

Among the national victims comprised four staff members from the same welfare organization, whose workplace are situated at the top of the sheer side road serviced by the funicular.

Background Context

The Glória funicular began operation in the late 19th century, utilizing a mechanism of weight compensation to propel its 2 wagons along its 265-metre route ascending and descending a sharp slope.

As per the bureau, a regular inspection on the day of the crash found no anomalies with the cable that eventually failed.

The experts also reported that the operator had applied the cable car's braking system, but they were powerless to halt the vehicle without the assistance of the weight compensation system.

The whole event occurred in merely under a minute, according to the investigation.

Next Steps

This investigative body is expected to publish a conclusive report with security guidelines within the coming year, though an preliminary update may provide further details on the status of the probe.