The Korang River is a significant water source, supporting varied aquatic ecosystems, and is vital for regional water supply and ecological balance. This study was conducted to assess the Korang River heavy metals (HMs) contamination, cancer and non-cancer risks, through health risk indices, and source apportionment. Eighty-three (83) surface water samples were analyzed via Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) for HMs concentration. The study sites are classified into three contamination zones through cluster analysis (CA) and self-organizing maps (SOM). In zone I, Ni (0.054 mg/L) exceeded the WHO permissible limit and is slightly contaminated. Zone II showed more contamination, with Fe (14.3 mg/L), Ni (0.136 mg/L), Cr (0.14 mg/L), and Cd (0.0123 mg/L) exceeding WHO permissible limits. Zone III was moderately contaminated, as Fe (4.98 mg/L) and Ni (0.063 mg/L) concentrations exceeded the permissible limits, and are less contaminated. The Hazard Index (HI) and Cancer Risks (CR) of Cr, Cd, and Ni were above the threshold level, showing both cancer and non-cancer health risks in adults and children. Through the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model, four major sources of HMs were identified. These sources are industrial effluents (30.2 %), household waste (25.2 %), traffic emissions (24.4 %), and geological weathering (20.2 %). These findings highlight the urgent need for effective management of industrial effluents, traffic emissions, and household waste through solid measures. Although this study is site-specific, the approach can be applied in other areas having similar industrial and urban setup for better contamination management.