Lisbon Funicular Tragedy: Preliminary Report Expected Today as Charleston Instructor Identified Among 16 Dead

A preliminary technical report on the devastating funicular crash in Lisbon, which claimed 16 lives, including a College of Charleston instructor, is expected to be released today by the government’s Office for Air and Rail Accident Investigations.

The College of Charleston confirmed on Friday that Heather Hall, a faculty member in the Department of Teacher Education and an alumna, was among those killed in the Wednesday accident. Hall, who was in Lisbon to speak at a conference, was the sole American fatality in the incident that also injured 21 people. Victims included five Portuguese citizens, two South Koreans, one Swiss, three British citizens, two Canadians, one French, and one Ukrainian.

Fran Welch, dean of the School of Education, expressed profound sorrow, stating, “This is a tragic loss for all of us. Her energy, kindness and student-centeredness will be deeply missed.” Hall was known for her specialization in special education, her love of travel, and her previous role as a Fulbright Scholar in Ghana, often taking students on study abroad trips.

The popular Elevador da Glória funicular, a national monument inaugurated in 1885, derailed and crashed into a building at approximately 6:01 p.m. local time on Wednesday. Emergency services rapidly responded, extracting all victims within just over two hours. The wreckage has since been cleared and is in police custody as investigations continue into the cause of the accident that has shocked Portugal and its international visitors.

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