Ottawa resident Aziz Benharref was on vacation in Portugal with his wife when the derailment happened.Ana Brigida/The Associated Press
An Ottawa man was among the tourists killed when a streetcar crashed in Lisbon earlier this month.
Aziz Benharref, a Canadian who lived in the Orleans neighbourhood, was on vacation in Portugal with his wife, Hind Iguernane, when the derailment happened.
A GoFundMe fundraising page said Iguernane suffered multiple serious injuries. It said money collected in the fundraiser will be used to help cover essential expenses, medical costs and day-to-day needs for Iguernane and her family.
Global Affairs Canada said last week that it was aware of the death of two Canadian citizens in the Lisbon streetcar crash and that it extended its “deepest condolences” to their families, loved ones and people affected.
Consular officials were providing assistance to the families and in contact with local authorities, the department said.
A couple from Quebec had been identified earlier as among the 16 people killed in the crash. Quebec’s Culture Department said archeologists André Bergeron and Blandine Daux made “remarkable contributions” to the province’s conservation centre.
Iguernane’s brother, Youness Iguernane, said the family was shocked not to see Benharref identified as a victim of the crash.
Iguernane said his sister is now in a hospital in Lisbon.
“It was a holiday for one week, but no one can imagine what has happened to him,” Iguernane said.
The streetcar, a popular tourist attraction, carries passengers up and down one of the city’s steep hills, past picturesque views.
The distinctive yellow-and-white Elevador da Gloria, which is classified as a national monument, was packed with locals and tourists last week when it came off its rails, leaving 21 people injured.
Portuguese police said last week that five of the victims were from Portugal, three from the United Kingdom, two from Canada, two from South Korea, one from the United States, one from France, one from Switzerland and one from Ukraine.
The French Foreign Ministry said Friday that Daux was a French-Canadian dual citizen.
Problems with a cable likely caused a Lisbon funicular railway popular with tourists to hurtle down a hill, killing at least 16 people and injuring another 22 when it crashed into a building, according to a preliminary report.
Reuters