Two S. Koreans among 16 dead in Lisbon funicular crash

In Portugal.

Two South Korean nationals are among the 16 victims who lost their lives in a crash of a popular funicular railway car in the capital city Lisbon.

Cha Yun-kyung has the latest.

In the tragic crash of the historic Gloria funicular, 16 people were killed, and more than 20 others injured.

On Wednesday, around 6:15 PM local time, Lisbon's 140-year-old funicular train, which is popular with tourists, derailed and crashed into a building.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Luis Montenegro visited the site of the funicular accident on Thursday evening for a mass in honor of the 16 victims of the crash. Prime Minister Montenegro called the crash "one of the biggest human tragedies" in the country's recent history, and President Rebelo de Sousa told journalists that it was a time to mourn the deceased and to console their family members.

"Today is a national day of mourning, it's mourning for Lisbon but also for Portugal. In this hour of mourning, we are waiting for a time when, first and foremost, we must mourn the dead, respect the dead. Believers pray for the dead, non-believers think of the dead."

The yellow funicular that carried many tourists up and down a steep hillside in Lisbon was left overturned on the cobblestone street.

Of the 16 victims the coroner has so far identified the bodies of five Portuguese, two South Koreans and one Swiss national.

"Five Portuguese citizens have been fully identified through scientific methods. Two South Korean citizens ---we have had close collaboration with the South Korean embassy from the outset ---were identified and one Swiss victim through Interpol."

According to Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, the two Koreans are a man and a woman, and there was another injured Korean woman in the accident, who is currently undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of a local hospital after surgery.

Meanwhile, President Lee Jae Myung on Friday extended condolences to the families of the victims of the deadly crash.

He posted a message on Facebook saying, "I offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and the people of Portugal, who must be in profound sorrow and shock, and I wish a swift recovery for the injured."

Lee said the Korean Embassy in Portugal formed a task force immediately after the accident, and the ambassador also checked the situation at the site of the accident.

He added that the government will convey condolences to the Portuguese prime minister and request special support for Korean nationals.

Cha Yun-kyung, Arirang News.