Portugal declares national mourning after deaths and injuries in tourist tram derailment.

Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special

Arabian Sea_Agence France-Presse: The Portuguese government has announced a national day of mourning on Thursday for the victims of an incident described by the mayor of the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, as an "unprecedented tragedy." At least 15 people were killed and 18 others injured, five of them seriously, after a mountain tram derailed in a tourist district of Lisbon on Wednesday, in an incident described by the mayor of the Portuguese capital as an "unprecedented tragedy." Official Tiago Augusto said that all the victims had been transferred, adding that they included foreigners whose nationalities he did not specify. The accident, which occurred around 6:00 p.m. (local time) and whose details are not yet known, involved the overturning of the famous Gloria mountain tram, which connects Rossio Square with the Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real areas. The tram operator confirmed that it had followed "all maintenance protocols." Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas said, "It is an unprecedented tragedy in our city." Images broadcast continuously on local television showed a large number of civil defense, police, and medical emergency personnel deployed in the middle of the sloping street where the vehicle was lying, after it fell on its side and was badly damaged. The tram, which can accommodate about forty passengers, is a popular means of transportation for many tourists visiting the Portuguese capital.