British couple killed in Lisbon funicular crash named

Two of the three Britons killed in the Lisbon funicular crash have been named.

Kayleigh Smith, 36, and William Nelson, 44, were a couple and died alongside 14 others in Wednesday's incident.

Ms Smith graduated from the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester, where Mr Nelson ran the master's degree in directing.

The identity of the third British victim has not yet been confirmed.

MADS theatre in Macclesfield, Cheshire, said Ms Smith was a "valued member of our society" who will be "greatly missed".

It said she was an award-winning director and actress, who had also done multiple crew and front-of-house roles.

Macclesfield MP Tim Roca paid tribute to Ms Smith, saying she was a "hugely talented theatre director" who "poured her creativity, energy and kindness into every production".

Mr Nelson was "equally dedicated to nurturing creativity and inspiring the next generation" and "his loss will be felt deeply by colleagues and students alike", the MP added.

Hours before the crash, Ms Smith posted pictures on Instagram of their first day in Lisbon with the caption: "Churches and castles, tiles and trams."

MADS Theatre in Macclesfield posted a tribute on Friday night, saying: "It is with great sadness that we must acknowledge the death of Kayleigh Smith and her partner Will Nelson in the Lisbon funicular tragedy.

"Kayleigh was a valued member of our society and made considerable contributions both to MADS and to drama in the North West. It is indeed a sad loss to all of us at the theatre.

"Kayleigh was an award-winning director and an award-nominated actress. She also undertook multiple crew and front-of-house roles at MADS. She was a past vice-chair, membership secretary and head of tech, but above all that she was a dear friend to many and will be greatly missed.

"We wish to send our deepest condolences to both families and to respect their privacy at this sad time. Our thoughts are with them."

Five Portuguese citizens died when the packed carriage plummeted out of control - four of them workers at a charity on the hill - but most victims were foreigners.

Police said the other fatalities were two Canadians, two South Koreans, one American, one French citizen, one Swiss and one Ukrainian.

All but one were declared dead at the scene - and 21 others in the packed carriage were injured.

The yellow carriages of the Gloria funicular are a big draw for tourists, as well as a proud symbol of the Portuguese capital.

The journey is just 265m (870ft) up a steep hill and takes three minutes, with two carriages travelling in opposite directions on a linked cable.

Read more:
Everything we know about the Lisbon crash

Witnesses reported seeing one of the carriages hurtle down the hill before derailing and crashing 30m from the bottom.

The aftermath shows it crumpled and twisted against the side of a building.

People who were in the bottom carriage said they were a few metres into the climb when it started going backwards.

When they saw the other car speeding towards them, many jumped through the windows to escape.

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro called the crash "one of the biggest tragedies of our recent past" and authorities are under intense pressure to quickly identifying the cause.

One witness who was in the lower carriage told Sky's Europe correspondent Alistair Bunkall that the brakes appeared to fail.

The carriage's brakeman, Andre Marques, has also been confirmed among the dead.

Officials said the streetcar, which has been running since 1914, had a half-hour visual inspection every day and underwent full maintenance last year.

The line links the downtown area near Restauradores Square with Lisbon's Bairro Alto neighbourhood.

A preliminary technical report due on Friday has now been delayed until Saturday. Another report with a broader scope is expected within 45 days.

Three other funicular lines in Lisbon have been suspended.

(c) Sky News 2025: British couple killed in Lisbon funicular crash named