It now seems increasingly likely that a mechanical failure was to blame for the accident. German rail authorities have ordered urgent inspections of the Intercity Express fleet and 60 of the trains have been pulled out of service while the inspections proceed. Forty trains, built to a newer model, will stay in operation.

According to BBC correspondent Caroline Wyatt, investigators now think the wheel may have come loose from the train some 6km before the scene of the accident.

The BBC's Caroline Wyatt reports on the progress of the investigation

The theory is that this destabilised the train, causing it to leave the rails when it passed over a set of points just before the scene of the accident.

Rescuers remove one of the last bodies from the wreckage

On Friday morning the German rail authorities announced that rescue teams had removed the last bodies from the mangled wreckage of the disaster.

They say that a total of 95 bodies have been found, fewer than most early estimates. More than 40 people remain seriously injured in hospital.

The final bodies were removed from a restaurant car, which was crushed by the bridge. Some of the bodies were so badly mutilated that it could take some time to identify the victims.

Rescuers had taken nearly two days of continuous and painstaking work to break up the debris and winch the mangled carriage free of the tracks.

What happened?

BBC correspondent David Shukman reports from the scene of the rescue operation

The train, travelling from Munich to Hamburg, went off the rails in the town of Eschede, 35 miles (50km) north of Hanover, at 1100 local time (0900 GMT) on Wednesday.

Most of the damage appears to have been caused by a concrete bridge that collapsed on top of the train, which was travelling at 200km/h (120 mph).

Germany is in mourning

Evidence of mechanical failure related to a wheel is mounting. Passengers on the train say they heard a severe rattling noise shortly before the crash happened and a spokesman for the state office charged with policing rail safety in Germany said part of a broken wheel has been found several kilometres from the scene of the crash.

Officials also say they have found damage to the railway line nearly 6km before the scene of the accident.

The police at the scene have so far refused to comment on the causes of the rail accident, the worst in Germany in 50 years.

According to our correspondent, a criminal prosecution could be possible if the railways or individuals are found to be responsible for the disaster.

Investigators have already ruled out the theory that a car fell on to the line in front of the train.

The car found among the wreckage is now thought to have fallen from the collapsing bridge when the train rammed into it.

A nation in shock

Counsellors at work in Eschede say they are now gauging the psychological effects of Wednesday's train crash. They are comforting local residents, the bereaved and members of the emergency services who witnessed the immediate aftermath of the accident.

Chancellor Kohl thanked emergency staff

Chancellor Helmut Kohl visited the scene of the crash on Thursday, after cutting short a visit to Italy. He thanked rescue workers and medical staff for their efforts.

BBC correspondent David Shukman reports that the railways now face a massive task in restoring Germans' confidence in rail travel.

Trains are a popular means of transport in Germany. The Intercity Express units had cut travel times between cities, and are thought to be built to exacting safety standards.

The accident is being treated as a national disaster, and Germany is gripped by a sense of sorrow and disbelief.