Investigators search for cause of Lisbon funicular crash that killed 17

The city centre streetcar came off the rails during the evening rush hour

The city centre streetcar came off the rails during the evening rush hour on Wednesday (Armando Franca/AP)

Portuguese officials were focusing on establishing the causes of the crash of a Lisbon funicular popular with tourists that killed 17 people and injured more than 20, five of them seriously.

“The city needs answers,” Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas said in a televised statement after Wednesday’s derailment.