An elderly man was found dead in a drain along Jalan Merbau Kudung after a group of children who were fishing nearby discovered the body earlier today.
The victim was identified as 64-year-old Adanan Hassim. The discovery was first reported to villagers before police were alerted at about 10am.
A nephew of the deceased, who wished to be known only as Mohd, said he was informed by villagers and rushed to the scene around 12pm.
He said the body was found about 500 metres from the victim’s home in Kampung Nyior Sebatang.
According to Mohd, the deceased had been living alone following a divorce more than a decade ago and earned a living through village work.
He added that the man left behind five children, who are currently living with their mother.
Mohd said the route where the body was found was a familiar path used by the victim to buy food from a nearby shop, adding that the family was shocked by the incident as he was known to be quiet and had no known issues with villagers.
He also said the victim was believed to have suffered a broken left leg and may have been struck by a vehicle before being found in the drain, although this has yet to be confirmed by police.
Authorities have not ruled out foul play as investigations continue.
Police, with assistance from the Fire and Rescue Department, forensic teams and K9 units, were deployed to the scene.
Preliminary findings suggest the victim may have died about two days earlier based on the condition of the body.
The remains were sent to Hospital Kepala Batas for a post-mortem to determine the exact cause of death and injuries.
