KARACHI, June 2: Police have failed to examine the place of the explosion at Imambargah Ali Raza despite the passage of two days, and have not yet collected evidence which might provide a breakthrough in investigations, investigators told Dawn on Wednesday.

They said they had found piece of a skull, teeth, piece of a leg and part of a ribcage. "We suspect he was a suicide bomber and have sent his limb samples for DNA tests, while no one has yet turned up to claim him," he added.

He said investigators were facing difficulty in examining the bombed mosque, as area people and the mosque committee were highly emotional and were denying the police entry. He said since investigators had found a way into the mosque, they would hopefully collect some evidence,which may provide a clue to the culprits, as had happened in theHyderi mosque bombing case.

Provincial police chief Syed Kamal Shah had said that the available evidence indicated it was a suicide bombing case. Eighteen people were killed and 35 injured in the explosion on May 31, at Imambargah Ali Raza. The death toll has so far risen to 22 including the suicide bomber.

The pace of investigation in the Hyderi mosque blast had slowed down after the following terrorist incidents in the city. Investigators had identified the suicide bomber in the Hyderi mosque explosion as Mohammad Akbar Niazi, a police recruit. His connections were established with a prayer leader, Murtaza, of aBaghdadi mosque.

Investigators believed Murtaza was a key suspect in the Hyderi mosque blast, who had gone missing. Police thought Murtaza had fled to Quetta. They contacted the Balochistan police to seek help in arresting the key suspect.

Fourteen people were killed and 96 others injured in a powerful blast on May 7, at Hyderi mosque within the compound of Sindh Madressatul Islam. The death toll has so far risen to 23 as many victims suffered serious burns and were being treated in various private hospitals.

Meanwhile, the police were also groping in the dark to find a clue to the killers of Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai, who had been assassinated in front of his home near Binnori Town mosque on May 30.