World
First victim killed in Lisbon Glória Funicular derailment identified as Brakeman André Marques
LISBON, Portugal — A tragic derailment of the iconic Elevador da Glória funicular in Lisbon on Wednesday evening has left 15 people dead and 18 others injured, including five in critical condition.
Authorities confirmed that by 8:30 p.m., all passengers had been evacuated from the wreckage.
The first confirmed fatality was brakeman André Marques, who had been operating the cabin when the funicular lost control.
According to a firefighter source, the accident occurred when a cable in the structure came loose, causing the tram to accelerate uncontrollably down the steep slope and crash into the wall of a building on Rua da Glória.
The derailment happened at approximately 6:05 p.m., as the funicular descended from the São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint toward Restauradores Square.
Emergency services worked throughout the evening to extract passengers and treat the injured. Of the 18 wounded:
- São José Hospital admitted nine victims, including five in critical condition, and a three-year-old child who remains stable but is being transferred to D. Estefânia Hospital as a precaution. The child’s pregnant mother sustained minor injuries and has been moved to Alfredo da Costa Maternity Hospital.
- Santa Maria Hospital received eight victims, one of whom is in serious condition, including a slightly injured child.
- São Francisco Xavier Hospital treated three women, one in critical condition.
- Other patients were transported to Amadora-Sintra and Cascais hospitals for further care.
In response to the tragedy, the Portuguese Government has declared Thursday a national day of mourning, while the Lisbon City Council has declared three days of municipal mourning in honor of the victims.
“Lisbon is in mourning,” said Mayor Carlos Moedas, who visited the site shortly after the incident. “This is a tragedy unlike anything our city has ever experienced. Now is the time for action and support. I want to thank everyone who responded within minutes. Today is an extremely tragic day for Lisbon,” he said, adding that further statements would be made later “out of respect for the families.”
The Judicial Police have cordoned off the area and launched an official investigation into the cause of the derailment.
Civil Protection officials emphasized that while a cable failure is suspected, the exact cause remains under investigation.
Crime
Tumbler Ridge Secondary School Shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar Created Mall Shooting Simulator in Roblox
Investigators and online researchers have identified a Roblox account allegedly linked to Jesse Van Rootselaar, the 18-year-old suspect in the deadly mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in British Columbia.
According to platform officials, the account was discovered by users on the internet forum Kiwi Farms, who reported that Van Rootselaar had created a game — referred to on Roblox as an “experience” — that simulated a shooting inside a shopping mall.
The virtual environment appeared to resemble a Canadian retail complex, although it has not been confirmed whether the design was intended to replicate a specific real-world location.
Videos circulating on social media prior to its removal showed a player-controlled character collecting weapons and firing into crowds of animated civilians within the mall setting.
The footage quickly drew widespread concern given the seriousness of the real-world attack.
Roblox confirmed that the account belonged to the suspect and announced swift action in response.
“We have removed the user account connected to this horrifying incident, as well as any content associated with the suspect,” the company said in a statement. “We are committed to fully supporting law enforcement in their investigation.”
Initially, reports suggested the game remained accessible despite the account being deleted. However, Roblox later clarified that the content has now been removed from the platform.
The company also noted that the mall-themed experience was only accessible through Roblox Studio, a development application used by creators to build games, rather than through the main platform available to general users.
As a result, the experience reportedly recorded only seven visits, indicating extremely limited exposure.
Investigators are continuing to examine the suspect’s digital footprint, including online posts and usernames believed to match across multiple platforms such as Reddit, where references to Roblox activity were also reportedly found.
Van Rootselaar is accused of carrying out the February 10 shooting that left eight people dead and at least 25 others injured at the secondary school.
Authorities have not indicated whether the online content forms part of the official investigative findings, but technology platforms are increasingly scrutinized in the aftermath of violent incidents for potential warning signs.
Officials emphasize that the broader investigation remains active as law enforcement works to establish a complete timeline, understand possible motives, and determine whether any additional factors contributed to the tragedy.