'Urgent enquiries': Australia providing help after 15 killed in Portugal streetcar crash

The Australian government is making "urgent enquiries" and assisting one person after an electric streetcar derailed in Lisbon, Portugal, overnight, killing at least 15 people.

A further 18 have been reported injured, with five in serious condition, the National Institute for Medical Emergencies said in a statement.

An unknown number of the injured are foreigners, it said.

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The Elevador da Gloria streetcar, also called a funicular, is a Lisbon landmark and a major tourist draw.

"Australian officials are making urgent enquiries following the tragic overnight crash of a cable railway vehicle in Lisbon, Portugal," a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told 9news.com.au.

"The Australian government offers its deepest sympathies to those affected.

"We are not aware of any Australians who have been killed or seriously injured.

"We are providing consular assistance to one individual."

Live footage on local TV showed the emblematic bright yellow carriage completely destroyed, surrounded by firefighters.

Videos shot by bystanders showed a huge cloud of dust and people running towards the accident.

Several injured people were carried away from the crash, which took place on Wednesday afternoon (early Thursday AEST) in part of the town that's extremely popular with tourists.

Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas confirmed there had been fatalities without giving specific numbers.

He said it was an accident that "should not have happened" but didn't respond when asked if the city's other funiculars were safe.

"Lisbon is in mourning," he said.

"It's a tragic moment for our city."

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa shred his deep regret and offered his sympathy for and solidarity with those affected by the "tragedy".

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also sent her condolences. "It is with sadness that I learned of the derailment of the famous Elevador da Gloria," she wrote in Portuguese on X.

An investigation into the causes will begin once the rescue operation is over, the Portuguese government said in a statement.

The funicular links Restauradores, a zone with multiple hotels, a major railway station and many shops and restaurants, with Bairro Alto, the city's busiest neighbourhood for nightlife.

Hilly Lisbon is home to several funiculars, along with its renowned trams, which have a similar design and are popular with tourists, along with the locals who use them to get around the city.

The carriages on the Elevador da Gloria, which are old and don't have seatbelts, can hold 40 or more passengers seated and standing.

Lisbon hosted around 8.5 million tourists last year, and the streetcar is a popular attraction. Long lines of tourists typically form for the brief ride on it.

The same funicular system suffered a derailment in 2018 but no one was injured.

Carris, which operates much of the city's public transport network, told CNN Portugal said that all its resources were activated to respond and its "priority is to monitor the situation".

A spokesperson didn't offer any details of a possible cause for the crash.

With Associated Press.

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