Ski tragedy survivors describe explosions

Invesitgators and rescuers enter the tunnel to continue the grim search for bodies and clues

KAPRUN, Austria (CNN) -- Survivors of the Austrian ski-train tragedy in which up to 160 died have described "explosions and sparks" as they escaped from the inferno in a mountain tunnel.

A group of survivors -- members of a skiing club in the southern German town of Vilseck -- said in a statement that they heard two "loud explosions, one immediately after the other."

They occurred shortly after flames enveloped the car and they clambered out through a broken window and started running downhill, toward the entry point into the tunnel.

Almost immediately afterwards, one of the two steel cables used to pull the car broke and shot by them "throwing off sparks," the statement said.

"Each one in the group was in panic, fearing that the burning train could get loose and crash down the flight path," they said. Others spoke of a "small explosion and then a gigantic explosion."

REFERENCE Austrian train disaster   •  Graphic: How it happened   •  Survivor's tale   •  Ski champion dead   •  Video: Disaster   •  Video: Recovery   •  Press review   •  Search for clues   •  Accidents in Europe    VIDEO CNN's Chris Burns looks at the workers' efforts Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) A doctor who treated survivors recounts their experiences during the fire Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Nation in mourning as recovery work continues, reports CNN's Chris Burns Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     AUDIO Possible clues 451 k / 42 seconds AIFF or WAV sound Identifying victims 419 k / 39 seconds AIFF or WAV sound Recovery process 362 k / 34 seconds AIFF or WAV sound "Go downwards, Go downwards!" A hero triumphs over terror. 0.97 MB / 93 seconds AIFF or WAV sound     MESSAGE BOARD Travel troubles

Investigators in the Austrian ski resort of Kaprun are analysing an oily substance found outside the tunnel.

They say the residue found on the tracks could indicate a fire broke out before the funicular train entered the tunnel on the Kitzsteinhorn mountain.

It is believed to be a lubricant or melted plastic and it is being chemically analysed. Results of chemical tests on the substance can be expected in the next two days.

The substance "could signify a fire-causing defect before the train entered the tunnel," chief investigator Christian Tisch said.

It may have dripped from the train onto the track, with the train developing a fault soon after it left the valley station, investigators said.

The findings offer the first possible clue as to what may have caused the inferno. However, investigators are not ruling anything out and stress this is just one part of a full investigation.

The investigators' findings were the first confirmation of accounts given by some of the survivors of last weekend's tragedy -- Austria's worst peacetime disaster -- who said they saw smoke before the train entered the tunnel.

Authorities have now put the death toll at 160 -- with 156 confirmed dead, plus four missing and believed killed.

Rescue teams are working around the clock to remove the remains of the victims -- mainly Austrian and German skiers.

DNA tests will be needed to confirm the identities of the 128 bodies that have been recovered so far.

Investigators are continuing to comb the floor of the tunnel for traces of human remains to help identify victims of the inferno.

Eighteen people survived -- six waiting at the top of the tunnel and 12 who managed to escape from the car and then ran down.

Most of the victims appeared to have died outside the burning compartment, overcome by heat and smoke being pushed through the tunnel from drafts as they tried to run up.

Among those who escaped was German Thorsten Graeber, who was being lauded as a hero for helping smash one of the car's windows with a ski pole and his hands, then helping lead others to safety at the bottom of the tunnel.

But being a survivor when 20 other members of his ski club died weighed heavily on Graeber, a 36-year-old investment banker.

"I don't want to run the whole film through my mind anymore," he told the Austrian newspaper. "It was horrific. We tried everything."

In separate comments, Austrian Regina Rammer told state television the cable car she took -- which was apparently right in front of the one that burst into flames -- stopped briefly and without explanation once inside the tunnel. She then heard knocking "like that of a hammer on a pipe."

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