A College of Charleston professor is believed to be the sole American killed when a streetcar derailed Wednesday in Lisbon, Portugal claiming the lives of 16 people.
The school says Heather Hall was a Department of Teacher Education faculty member who specialized in literacy and special education.
“This is a tragic loss for all of us,” said School of Education Dean Fran Welch.
“Heather’s untimely death occurred while she was in Lisbon to speak at a conference. Her energy, kindness and student-centeredness will be deeply missed.”
As a Fulbright Scholar in Ghana, the college says Hall learned to understand and celebrate the cultures of others. She enjoyed sharing her experiences with students, especially on study abroad trips to Italy. She’d planned to travel to Belize and Iceland as well.
Hall lost her life this week when a streetcar, considered a popular tourist attraction in Lisbon, suddenly derailed. Authorities have yet to release the cause of what the prime minister has called, “one of the biggest tragedies of our recent past.”
Investigators say 11 of the 16 people killed were foreigners including three British citizens, one French, one Swiss, an American, a Ukrainian, two South Koreans and two Canadians. 21 others were injured in the crash as well.