It was just after 18:00 on Wednesday when a carriage on Lisbon's famous Glória funicular careened down a steep cobblestoned street, crashing violently into a building. Eyewitnesses described chaos as the carriage appeared to lose control, descending at full speed.

It sounded like a bomb, said Helen Chow, who witnessed the event from the base of the hill. Following the collision, a suffocating silence descended before dark smoke engulfed the area. Chow remarked, There was complete scary silence... once it dissipated, you saw exactly what happened.

The crash, which resulted in at least 16 fatalities and about 20 injuries, occurred near the busy Avenida da Liberdade. Police are investigating the incident, which devastated the local community.

Witnesses across the area described the scene as frantic, with people running towards the wreckage, desperately trying to help. Videos from the moment show the twisted remains of the yellow-and-white train lying against the building.

It was awful. I am shaken, Chow added.

According to reports, the 140-year-old funicular, which typically operates by a counterbalancing system, saw one of its carriages begin its ascent just before the other descended uncontrollably, resulting in the horrific crash. Rasha Abdo, a passenger from the lower carriage, recounted, There were no brakes... it was going down fast, with acceleration, like there was no control.

Participants at the scene were struck by the sheer chaos, with one local resident, Abel Esteves, recalling the moment he thought his carriage would be struck as he saw the other carriage racing down the hill. I shouted to my wife, 'we are all going to die here!' he told the BBC.

As emergency services rushed to the scene, local residents, including tour guides and shop workers, joined forces to assist the injured, despite the overwhelming shock surrounding the event. Tour guide Marianna Figueiredo described the aftermath: The only thing I could hear was silence as she and others fought to provide aid among the wreckage.

Many travelers were fortunate to have changed their plans shortly before the incident, narrowly avoiding disaster, while others were left in heartbreaking grief. Eric Packer, visiting from the U.S., described how he and his friends had taken photos just moments before hearing the terrifying crash. It was a horrible tragedy and our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and survivors, he said.

The city has declared a national day of mourning in response to this tragic event, which has shocked not only the local community but also visitors to Lisbon.