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IN PHOTO: Children play in ruins above human remains and a basketball shirt found with it in the coastal part of Tacloban, that was destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan, January 16, 2015. Local residents said they found human remains in the mud among ruins of their wrecked fishing village and assume it is a typhoon victim. On his first visit to Asia's largest Catholic nation, Pope Francis will visit the central province of Leyte, which is still struggling to recover from Typhoon Haiyan that killed 6,300 people in 2013. About two million people are expected to attend an open-air mass on Saturday at Tacloban City airport, almost completely destroyed by Haiyan. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

The police is investigating the identity of the child, whose skeletal remains were found at a roadside in South Australia. The investigators suspects that the child was probably murdered before being bundled up into the suitcase. The gender of the child has still not been determined but the age of the child is between two to seven years.

The suitcase, which was stashed away in a bush on the side of Karoonda Highway, was discovered by a motorist who later reported it to the police. Investigations are going on since Thursday, and the local residents are being asked to remember a child who went missing under unusual circumstances.

Superintendent Des Bray said, “Certainly a big focus is on trying to identify a person who has not been reported missing. Young people don’t just disappear without someone noticing. Someone must have missed this child”.

Locals have informed police that last month they had spotted a man carrying a black suitcase. But ever since he was not to be seen by anyone. Police have also recovered a number of items from the abandoned suitcase.

Forensic experts have quarantined the area and investigation is underway whereas the SES and the local police are looking for every bit evidence that is available. Officers are even visiting homes and enquiring about any information on a missing person. So far the no record of any missing child in the area has been reported raising doubts that the remains might be of a child from interstate.

Superintendent Des Bray played down speculations that the remains of the child might be of NSW toddler William Tyrell. “There has been a lot of speculation about William Tyrrell – but I can tell you that unnecessary speculation is not helpful,” he said.

Contact the writer on debleenasarkar26@gmail.com.