JOHOR BARU: A 26-year-old man was found dead in a sewage tank at the abandoned Lot 1 Waterfront City mall here early today.
State Fire and Rescue Department senior fire officer Shaifulizam Mohd said they received an emergency call at 5.41am and they arrived at the scene some six minutes later.
The victim, who was fishing at the abandoned mall overlooking the Straits of Johor and Singapore, is believed to have tripped and fallen into the 10-metre-deep sewage tank.
Shaifulizam said rescuers descended into the 40m-by-40m tank and found the victim, but a medical assistant pronounced him dead at the scene, possibly due to drowning.
Meanwhile Johor Baru (South) police chief Assistant Commissioner of Police Raub Selamat confirmed that a report was lodged and the case had been classified as sudden death.
He said the victim was allegedly fishing in a no-fishing zone and the site had been closed to the public.
Construction of Lot 1 Waterfront City Mall began in 2000 as part of a RM6 billion project to transform the state capital into a commercial hub.
Initially planned to feature office blocks, condominiums and a hotel, only the mall materialised, offering more than 400 shop units and 35,000 sq m of retail space.
Despite its potential, the project was abandoned in 2003 due to various challenges, with revival attempts were repeatedly hindered by logistical and financial issues.
However, Business Times reported last year that there were plans to demolish the mall and redevelop it into a mixed-use commercial building.