A German man, initially reported dead following a tram crash in Lisbon, has been discovered alive. The father of three was thought to have perished in the tragic incident, which occurred in front of his son. His family, from Hamburg, had been informed that he was among the 16 fatalities at São José hospital, where his wife was also seriously injured.

On Thursday, the family visited the Institute of Forensic Medicine after receiving the grim news. However, they were unable to identify his body. A local officer then escorted them to the hospital, where they found him among the injured.

Authorities are still working to identify three victims from the crash. Investigators have revised the death toll twice, with evidence suggesting the victims may include two Canadians, an American, a German, and a Ukrainian national, according to Luis Neves, head of the national investigative police.

The incident occurred on Wednesday evening when the Glória Funicular, a popular tourist attraction, derailed and crashed into a hotel corner building. Eyewitnesses captured the chaos, with onlookers shouting, "there's kids under there," as the tram hurtled down the hill before colliding with the structure.

An investigation has been launched by the Portuguese public prosecutor's office, but the cause of the collision remains unclear. The first identified victim was 40-year-old André Jorge Gonçalves Marques, a Portuguese brakeman who worked on the funicular.

The Glória Funicular, which opened in 1885, operates two trams that run parallel to each other, transporting passengers up and down a steep hill. Initial reports suggest that the funicular may have come loose before the crash. Each tram can hold around 43 people and the service carries approximately three million passengers annually, including both tourists and locals.