Lisbon Glória Elevator Accident: Non-Compliant Cable Procurement Cited
The preliminary report on the Lisbon Glória elevator accident (September 2025, 16 fatalities) revealed that the cable that failed was "not certified for use in passenger transport installations" and did not comply with Carris specifications.
Key Findings:
Specification Error: Carris sent specifications for the Santa Justa elevator cables to suppliers for the Glória and Lavra elevators, only changing the diameter.
Non-Compliant Cable: The supplied cable was not suitable to be installed with swivels at its ends and had discrepancies in steel certification standards that went undetected.
On-Site Concerns Ignored: Workers noted the cable's different composition and behavior (e.g., significant lengthening requiring a 4.5-meter segment cut) but lacked the knowledge to identify the non-conformity.
Maintenance Failures: Recorded maintenance actions did not correspond to tasks actually performed, and inspections recorded as completed showed evidence they were not carried out.
GPIAAF recommended that Carris not reactivate the elevators without a re-evaluation by a funiculars-specialized entity and that the IMT promote a legislative framework for independent supervision.
