More Than 10 Bodies Including Infant Found In Klang River During Cleanup Works
The project has extracted more than 918,936m³ of debris from the river, including refrigerators and motorcycles.
Cover image via At least 10 bodies, including that of an infant, have been discovered during ongoing flood mitigation efforts along the Klang River under the Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) initiative
According to Sinar Harian, Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB) managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin, the project's head developer, said these discoveries have not been isolated cases, but have occurred almost monthly since river deepening and widening works began on 1 November 2022.
"To date, we have handed over more than 10 bodies to the police and fire department for further investigation.
"In fact, there was a time when we found three bodies on consecutive days," he said during a site visit to the SMG Zone 8 project in Kota Kemuning on Monday, 16 June.
Image via Astro Awani
Syaiful said that among the most unexpected findings was the body of a baby, which took an emotional toll on the team
Aside from human remains, the team continues to battle severe river pollution, frequently coming across heavy waste items such as refrigerators, lorry tyres, beds, mattresses, sofas, and even motorcycles at the bottom of the Klang River.
"I honestly don't understand how a refrigerator ends up in a river," he remarked.
To date, over 918,936m³ of matter, including sediment, garbage, and rocks, have been extracted from the river as part of the mitigation works.
The Ocean Cleanup's Interceptor 002 has been trapping trash in the Klang River since 2019.
Image via The Ocean Cleanup
The flood mitigation works are part of a broader initiative to increase the capacity of the Klang River, while restoring its ecosystem and improving water quality
Currently, the project is actively being carried out in Shah Alam, covering Zones 6, 7, and 8, which include areas such as Alam Impian, Section 24, Section 17, and Kota Kemuning, which are identified as high flood-risk areas.
"This project not only increases the river's capacity and prevents flash floods, but also restores the dignity of the Klang River as a sustainable water source and ecosystem," added Syaiful.
