LISBON — A cable linking two cabins disconnected shortly before the funicular crash that killed 16 people in Lisbon this week, hours after the cable had passed a visual check, accident inspectors said yesterday.

The information came in a note on Wednesday’s accident published by Portugal’s air and rail accident investigations bureau (GPIAAF).

“According to the evidence observed so far, the scheduled maintenance plan was up to date, and a scheduled visual inspection had been conducted on the morning of the accident, which detected no anomalies in the vehicles’ cable or braking systems,” said the agency note.

But it had not been possible to visually inspect the condition of the section of the cable where it separated from the vehicle before the crash, it added.

According to the investigators’ initial findings, the funicular crashed at a speed of 60 kilometres (37 miles) an hour. The whole incident happened in just 50 seconds, they added.

Investigators had already announced that 11 foreign nationals were among the 16 people killed in Wednesday’s crash.

Three Britons, two South Koreans, two Canadians, one Frenchwoman, one Swiss, one American and one Ukrainian were identified among the victims.

In all, about 20 people were injured, including at least 11 foreigners, the emergency services have said.

The Portuguese victims included four members of staff from the same social care institution, whose offices are situated at the top of the steep side-road serviced by the funicular.