A 75-year-old blind resident in Hougang alerted the police after noticing a strong foul smell coming from a neighbouring unit, leading to the discovery of a 69-year-old man’s decomposing body inside the flat.
The incident happened at Block 174C Hougang Avenue 1, where officers were called to the 10th-floor rental unit around noon on May 26. According to reports, the elderly man had recently moved into the flat and was believed to be living alone.
According to Shin Min Daily News, The neighbour who contacted the authorities, identified only by his surname Lin, said he first noticed the unusual smell a day earlier. Despite being visually impaired, he sensed that something was wrong as the odour became increasingly unbearable and spread across the corridor.
Residents living nearby reportedly became concerned as the smell intensified over time. Lin eventually decided to contact the police after suspecting that something serious might have happened inside the unit.
Maggots Reportedly Seen Inside Flat
Another resident living on the same floor said she last saw the deceased about five days before the body was discovered. She added that the man’s son, who reportedly has special needs, would occasionally visit him.
When the authorities removed the body from the unit, neighbours allegedly noticed the living room was in a messy state. Maggots were also reportedly seen inside the flat, indicating the body may have remained undiscovered for several days.
In response to media queries, the Singapore Police Force confirmed they were alerted to a case of unnatural death at the block around noon on Tuesday. The 69-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Preliminary investigations do not suggest foul play, although investigations are still ongoing.
Second Death Discovered In Same Block Days Earlier
The shocking incident became even more unsettling after residents revealed another body had been discovered in the same HDB block just days earlier.
According to Lin, a separate case involving a 70-year-old man occurred on the ninth floor of the same block on May 23. Police later confirmed they had responded to another report of unnatural death at around 10.15am that day.
The elderly man was also found motionless and pronounced dead at the scene. Similar to the latest case, preliminary investigations found no signs of foul play.
The back-to-back discoveries have left some residents disturbed, with neighbours expressing concern about elderly individuals living alone in Singapore’s ageing population.
Cases involving seniors dying alone and remaining undiscovered for days have continued to surface in recent years, raising wider conversations about social isolation, mental wellness, and community support systems for elderly residents staying by themselves in HDB estates across Singapore.