British couple killed in Lisbon tram disaster were ‘hugely talented’ theatre workers dedicated to ‘inspiring the next generation’

The British couple killed in the Lisbon Fünicular accident were remembered as members of the theater community as ‘very talented’ dedicated to ‘inspiring new generations’.

36 -year -old theater director Kayleight Smith and his partner Will Nelson, Manchester’s Arden Theater School, was called two of the three British who died after leaving the rail in the center of Portugal on Wednesday night.

The third British victim, who was said to be a 82 -year -old man, has not yet been named.

To add to the tragedy, on Saturday, by Portuguese news organizations, Mr. Nelson, at the time, could be confused with his German father with his wife.

The unnamed man was initially declared dead, but he was confirmed that he had recovery in the hospital on Friday.

During the accident that emerged immediately after the local time on September 3, Brit Nelson was wearing a German Schalke 04 football shirt after he came to the city with his partner the day before.

Germany’s third largest third football club is currently playing at the second stage of the country after falling from Bundesliga in 2022-23 season.

Paper Correio said: ‘The fact that Mr. Wilson wears a Schalke 04 football hill may have led to the mistake taken for his bodies and his father’s father.’

Operator Carris’s staff, on September 4, 2025, examine the Harap Gloria Fünikule

Today, the couple’s families ‘heart broken’ said.

In a statement published by the Cheshire police, Smith’s family said: ‘Kayleight was loved by family and friends for his intelligence and humor, and he came to the fore as a funeral operator of gentle and kindly nature.

He was also a talented theater director and completed his master’s degree. Both of them break their hearts. ‘

In the same police statement, Mr. Nelson’s brother said: ‘Words can not start to define how our family and friends feel, but here is the best initiative. This week, we lost Will Nelson, not only my brother, but everyone, because of a tragic accident in Lisbon, Portugal.

“ It was always gentle, selfless and protective, and the world does not feel right or normal without it. He was always my hero, and he was and we will always miss you. I love you, the legend of lies in peace. ‘

MacClesfield deputy Tim Roca paid tribute to Mrs. Smith and Mr. Nelson on Saturday morning: ‘I was very sorry to find out that two of our most popular members of our Macclesfield community were among those who lost their lives in the tragic funicidal accident of Kayleight Smith and his partner in Nelson.

‘Kayleight’ was a very talented theater director at the Mads Theater, where he put creativity, energy and kindness into every production. The tribute that the Mads team moves says all of them, he was a very much dear friend and he will be very longing.

Will, a faculty member at Manchester’s Arden Theater School, was equally devoted to nurturing creativity and inspiring future generations. I know that the loss will be deeply felt by colleagues and students.

‘My heart comes to Kayleigh and Will’s families, friends and all Mads Theater family as they face this tragedy.’

Hours before the accident, Mrs. Smith published pictures on Instagram’s first days in Lisbon under the title ‘Churches and castles, tiles and trams’.

The Mads Theater in Macclesfield said on Friday night: ‘We must accept the death of Kayleight Smith and his partner Will Nelson in the Lisbon Funicular Tragedy.

‘Kayleigh was a valuable member of our society and made significant contributions to both Mads and the North West. Indeed, a sad loss for all of us in the theater.

‘Kayleigh was an award -winning director and award candidate. He also played more than one crew and home in front of MADS. He was a vice president, membership secretary and technology president, but first of all he was a beloved friend and he will be missed.

During the accident after 18:00 on September 3, Brit Mr Nelson was wearing a German Schalke 04 football shirt

A drone view from November 4, 2025 shows the location of the accident after a funicular accident.

Streetcar’s wreckage police were detained. Picture Date: September 5

Flowers and candles were left by Wellwishers close to the scene of the accident

Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (CL), Gloria respects the victims of the funicular accident

“ We want to send our deepest condolences to both families and respect their privacy in this sad time. Our thoughts are with them. ‘

A total of 16 people died in the accident. There were also five Portuguese citizens, two Canadians, two South Korean, one American, one French, one Switzerland and a Ukrainian.

21 more people were injured, including five. No British citizen was among the injured.

No 10 spokesman, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’ın three British citizens died ‘deeply upset’ he said.

‘Thoughts are about their families and those who are affected by this terrible event’ he said.

‘We unite with Portugal at this difficult time.’

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that three British citizens who died in the incident support their families.

Anonymous 46 -year -old German citizen is initially reportedly dead in Lisbon’s Sao Jose Hospital. The 45 -year -old partner, who suffered more than one injury in a tram accident but is said to be ‘conscious and visited’ today, is being treated in the city’s Santa Maria Hospital.

The excavations at the railway were depicted on the Gloria Fünical Accident after the debris was removed in Lisbon on September 5th.

A drone view shows the location of the boiler after Gloria Fünikür Railway Car, a popular tourist attraction center, and collapsed and collapsed

It is understood that their parents fly out of their homes in Hamburg to relieve their three -year -old grandchildren and care.

Local reports say that they learned only after touching Lisbon, they learned the mixture of fear identity and that they have learned after they turned to the Institute of Law, considering that the sons of the city are about to ride the identity.

The 140 -year -old Gloria Fünikules were full of passengers when they came out of the rails.

Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro described the event as one of the biggest tragedies of our recent past ‘.

Funicular is a kind of railway system that carries up and down the upright slopes.

Gloria Füniküler has two separate yellow cars traveling between the restaurants square in the center of Lisbon and the Bairro Alto region, and the journeys take three minutes.

It is electrical and uses steel cables.

The rail resulted in one of the cars hit a building on a bend on a road. The debris is now removed.

Portuguese Sandra Coelho worked in the country’s largest charity. Unfortunately, During the Fünikler accident on Wednesday evening

Andre Jorge Goncalves Marques was among the victims of the tragic event on Wednesday

High School Professor Pedro Trindade was killed in an accident on 3 September

Alda Matias, who worked at Santa Casa da Misericórdia in Lisbon, was among the victims

Born in Proença-A-Nova, Ana Lopes died in the accident. Leaving a girl behind

The details are inadequate about the exact cause of the accident. The Lisbon Firefighters procession, this is the cause of a cable relaxing in the funicular structure, he said.

However, the company Carris, who runs the railway, said, ‘We will not assume that the problem lies in cable’.

They insisted that the Fünikül had passed full maintenance controls last year and they were looked at only nine hours before the accident.

CEO Pedro de Brito Bogas said on Thursday that there are six technicians inspected by three engineers responsible for the protection of the elevator.

However, Mr. Bogas did not explain in detail what the visual examination required on September 3 or did not say whether all cables were tested when asked.

Chief police researcher Nelson Oliveira said that a wider pre -police report is expected in 45 days.

Lisbon is home to approximately 8.5 million tourists last year, and long -term people are usually a city street and a few hundred meters for the short and pahythmasy journey of the tram.

Hundreds of people joined a gloomy audience to honor the dead and the wounded at the Saint Dominic Church of Lisbon on Thursday evening.