Rescuers recover the 19th victim from the wreckage on Saturday

January 8, 2000
Web posted at: 2:24 p.m. EST (1924 GMT)

RENA, Norway (CNN) -- The body of the 19th person killed in Norway's fiery head-on collision of two trains was recovered Saturday from the burned, twisted wreckage.

"We hope this is the last one. We have not received any reports of more persons missing," said rescue leader Ove Osgjelten.

Members of a government-appointed investigating commission arrived at the scene of the collision -- which occurred Tuesday at Aasta Station near the town of Rena, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of Oslo -- soon after the 19th victim was removed.

Police have received a preliminary report of the accident from Norwegian railroad authorities but will not release it until Monday. In the meantime, police are not commenting on what's in the report.

Three separate government commissions are investigating the crash in addition to the police.

Thirty people were injured when the two trains collided head-on January 4 on Norway's Roeros rail line.

Norway's Railway Inspectorate said the aging safety system on the track where the crash occurred would not be approved under new rules now in effect.

The Roeros line, built a century ago, relied on red signals to stop trains at a crossing point before they're allowed on a single track. Tuesday's accident apparently happened when the driver of the northbound train failed to stop for the red light.

Inspectors said they have found no technical problems with the signaling system.

Correspondent Morten Overbye of CNN Norge and Reuters contributed to this report.