Brit couple killed in Lisbon shared haunting final post before funicular crash

Kayleigh Gillian Smith, 36, and William Nelson, 44, were among the 16 people who died after Lisbon’s famous Gloria Funicular sped down a steep hill, slammed into a building and collapsed

A British couple killed in the Lisbon funicular crash posted a series of holiday snaps^[1] just hours before the disaster.

Kayleigh Gillian Smith, 36, and William Nelson, 44, had boarded the popular tourist tram for a day of sightseeing when tragedy struck. The Gloria Funicular is believed to have lost control due to a loose cable^[2], hurtling down a steep hill before smashing into a building and crumpling “like a cardboard box”, according to witnesses.

Among the 16 killed were three Brits, five Portuguese citizens, two South Koreans, two Canadians, one American, one Ukrainian, one Swiss and one French citizen. Twenty-two others were injured in the horror.

READ MORE: Everything we know so far about Lisbon tram crash horror as three Brits confirmed dead^[3]READ MORE: Lisbon funicular crash: Two Brits among 16 killed in tram smash horror pictured^[4]

The couple’s final photos, shared on Kayleigh’s Instagram^[5], show them exploring Lisbon, with images of the country’s iconic tiled buildings and historic architecture, street art, and trams. Some of the shots feature both Kayleigh and William, smiling for selfies or posing in front of art.

One shows William on a balcony overlooking a tiled facade, another captures the couple enjoying what appears to be a beer beside a body of water. In a haunting twist, one photo even features the very type of tram that ultimately claimed their lives.

Kayleigh, a recent graduate from Manchester’s Arden School of Theatre, and William, a lecturer there, had arrived in Portugal just one day before the tragedy.

A close friend of Kayleigh, Lesley Guymer, told The Telegraph: “Such a quirky lady, lovely, lovely lady. I’ve known her since she was in her teens. And Will was such a magnificent man. Big beard, charming, very, very, very lovely. Lovely family. The whole family.”

Teresa d’Avo, who witnessed the horror collision, told Portuguese TV channel SIC: “It crashed into a building with brutal force and fell apart like a cardboard box. It crashed with tremendous force. It didn’t have any kind of brakes.”

Another said the lift was heading towards them from above “completely out of control.” The witness added: “It wasn’t travelling at normal speed at all, and we only had time to turn around and start running, because we didn’t know if it was going to hit the lift below. The biggest concern was that it would end up on the road leading to Rossio Square.”

Sir Keir Starmer^[6] said he was “deeply saddened” by the incident. His spokesperson said: “His thoughts are with their families and those affected by this terrible incident. We stand united with Portugal during this difficult time.” Portugal’s Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, meanwhile described the crash as “one of the biggest tragedies in recent history”.