A woman in the fatal September 3 funicular crash in Lisbon, Portugal, that claimed the lives of 16 people has survived to tell a tragic tale of fate, uncertainty, and heartache.
Reports indicate an overhead cable came loose, causing the incline railway carriage to hurtle downhill unabated before slamming into a hotel wall, reducing it to a mangled wreck.
Eyewitness accounts relate to police arriving at the scene five minutes later, to find badly lacerated and unconscious people. At the same time, images depict a thick cloud of dust hiding other aspects of the horror awaiting emergency workers.
At least four Canadians, including Aziz Benharref, 42, and his wife, Hind Iguernan, were among the passengers. Their relatives say they received absolutely no support from their country of residence.
Speaking from a hospital in Lisbon, Hind Iguernan refused to be filmed due to the extent of her injuries
Image credits: ITV News
Speaking from a hospital bed in Lisbon, Iguernan recounted to the press, amid sobs, the last moments before the funicular collided with a building’s wall.
She described it as going “very, very fast, like going [on] the highway and everyone was screaming.”
According to her, she was supposed to have been sitting in what would later turn out to be a doomed seat.
Image credits: GoFundMe
Her husband had insisted they swap as he figured that by taking his spot, Iguernan would be more comfortable.
“We sat next to each other. I was supposed to sit in his place, and he said, ‘No, just move a bit and I will be there,’ because it was more comfortable for me,” the bereaved woman, who had refused to be filmed due to the extent of her injuries, said.
She called out to her husband and received no answer, and was carted off to the hospital without knowing
Image credits: Patriot Canadians/Facebook
“It was very scary. It crashed. I didn’t see him. I called him; I was calling Aziz and he didn’t answer,” Iguernan recalled.
Being conscious, she was aware of herself being carted off to the hospital—with no knowledge of her husband’s fate.
“When they took me to the hospital, I kept asking and for like two nights nobody [knew] or at least [they] didn’t [tell] me what happened to him. They were just telling me, ‘We’re all looking for him, we keep looking for him,’” she told a prominent Canadian outlet.
Image credits: Patriot Canadians/Facebook
Those who lost their lives in the crash amounted to 16, with the injured tallying up to 21.
Friends and family reached out to connections in Portugal to help them find Aziz Benharref
Meanwhile, back home in Orleans, Canada, Iguernan’s brother, Youness, became aware of her plight and took to social media to find out what had happened to his brother-in-law.
“I start[ed] searching about the groups on Facebook, the Moroccan groups on Facebook, if someone can help us and thank[…] God, I found two guys from Algeria and another girl from Morocco,” he told Canada’s CTV.
Image credits: Flick1
“He took his bike, and he checked all of the hospitals around seven or eight,” he recalled of the person who had helped him.
Loved ones say they received absolutely no help from the Canadian government
Ayoub Sajjaa, Benharref’s former university peer and friend of 20 years, was also interviewed and said he was still in shock.
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“He was the best of us, honestly. This is what I always say. An exemplary person, a very helping member of the community in Orléans here,” Sajjaa said of the late 42-year-old.
He also used the publicity to slam the Canadian services, saying:
“They took the information that we had, and they tried to get information, but we did not get any help from them.”
Canada’s consular services says it is aware that two Canadians lost their lives in the crash
Image credits: ITV News
“It was really frustrating because for the whole night we tried to find solutions [on] our own. You know, we tried to reach out to people from Facebook, from Instagram, anyone that lives in Portugal, basically.”
Global Affairs Canada has since indicated that it was aware of two of its citizens who met their ends in the accident.
“We extend our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones as well as to all of those affected,” a spokesperson told CTV.
Image credits: ITV News
“Consular officials are providing consular assistance to the families and are in contact with local authorities. Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed.”
When the wife is well enough, she will travel to Morocco for her husband’s funeral
As for the bereaved wife, she will remember Benharref as “one of the sweetest human beings ever.”
Image credits: ITV News
Image credits: ITV News
“He was kind to everyone. He was generous, hardworking, respectful. He was a great husband. He loved Canada,” she said of the man.
As soon as Iguernan is well enough, she will travel to her husband’s birth country, Morocco, to attend his funeral.
The public is lamenting the tragic event
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