THE doomed Lisbon tram was inspected and flagged for a cable replacement on the morning of the deadly crash.
The shocking revelation comes after 16 people – including three Brits – were killed in the horror smash.
GettyThe tram derailed in Lisbon, killing 16 people[/caption]
ReutersThree British people were killed in the shock crash[/caption]
An investigation is underway to find out what went wrong (Photo by Horacio Villalobos/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***
In the inspection report, one of the technicians noted the cable had 263 days left before it needed to be replaced.
Among the ten inspection procedures performed, technicians were required to answer various questions, including “Is the elevator in full operating condition?”
The technicians answered yes.
Just nine hours later, two of the elevator cars derailed onto a Portuguese foot path and smashed into a building.
Pedro Bogas – president of the tram company Carris – called the Lisbon tram collision “unimaginable” while being unable to reveal the cause of the breakage.
Bogas said the smash had “left everyone perplexed”.
He emphasised that the “cables are checked daily on a pulley”.
“If it had originated from something very obvious, we would have already identified it”, he said.
“The situation is unimaginable, unusual,” he added.
He explained general maintenance of the cars was undertaken every four years, with the last maintenance carried out in 2022.
He also said interim maintenance was done every second year.
Bogas confirmed the elevator had redundancy systems, which allow the vehicle to be stopped, but said “on a light railway [that is] over 100 years old, it couldn’t be exact”.
Six technicians maintained the carriage, while being supervised by three engineers.
Two Carris technicians also helped in the maintenance process.
An investigation was launched after the collision, and a technical inspection was carried out on the Lavra, Graca and Bica carriages and the Santa Justa elevator.
ReutersThe president of transport company Carris Pedro Bogas said the crash was “unimaginable”[/caption]
ReutersThe brakeman of the tram was found dead at the front of the first carriage, trying to stop the collision[/caption]
GettyLisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas visited the site of the smash on September 4[/caption]
Bogas confirmed the brakeman – Andre Marques – had been found dead “at the controls of the vehicle”.
“Our brakeman was at the controls until the very last moment, and that’s something that touches us all deeply,” he said.
“Everyone here is very dedicated and professional.”
The president said the Elevador da Gloria would continue to run.
“We will have a new elevator with even greater safety,” he vowed.
Earlier today, Portuguese authorities confirmed the nationalities of all the victims of the crash, including 22 injured passengers.
The three British passengers who died included an 82-year-old man, a 44-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman.
They are believed to have been among the last of the victims to be formally identified.
FacebookAna Lopes was among the victims of the crash[/caption]
FacebookPedro Trindade was among the victims of the crash[/caption]
FacebookAlda Matias was among the victims of the crash[/caption]
FacebookPedro Trinidade was among the victims of the crash[/caption]
FacebookSandra Coelhowas among the victims of the crash[/caption]
Policia Judiciaria said: “The nationalities of the 16 fatal victims have been confirmed, after scientific identification, with the collaboration of the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences.
“They are five Portuguese; two South Koreans; one Swiss; three British; two Canadians; one Ukrainian; one American and one French national.”
There are said to be no Brits among those still receiving treatment.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he is “deeply saddened” to hear about the British victims.
A Number 10 spokesman said: “The Prime Minister is deeply saddened to hear that three British nationals have died in the funicular crash in Lisbon.
“His thoughts are with their families and those affected by this terrible incident.
“We stand united with Portugal during this difficult time.”
A German man thought to have died in the crash was later found alive in a Lisbon hospital, police said.
He is thought to be the dad of a three-year-old boy who begged a cop to hold him after the crash left his mum seriously injured.