A 77-year-old man was found dead in his Punggol flat on Wednesday, April 9, after neighbours called the police as they were concerned by a foul smell coming from his apartment.
On the same day, when a reporter from Shin Min Daily News visited the flat, two police officers were spotted standing outside the door of the deceased.
The communal passageway was said to have a strong odor.
The old man had been living alone in that rental apartment for more than five years, according to the deceased’s neighbors. He seemed ill when he was last seen, which was almost a week ago.
After not seeing the elderly man for more than a week, a 46-year-old resident who lives on the same level as the deceased claimed that he made the decision to check on him in an interview with Shin Min Daily News.
The food delivery driver told the publication, “I didn’t see him [since then], so I became worried and decided to check on him with another neighbour.”
He went on to say that one of them phoned the police right away after unlocking the door and smelling the pungent odor. A 72-year-old retiree neighbor with the surname Chen (transliteration) informed the Chinese daily that the elderly man was a quiet and solitary person.
“During the holidays, no one ever came to visit him. It’s sad that it’s only after his death that we learned more about him,” Chen said.
Chen said the elderly man had attempted suicide at home at the end of the previous year. Thankfully, officials were notified, and the man was saved.
The deceased had a history of alcohol-related problems, he added, including an instance in which the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was called when he was discovered sleeping in the common corridor at night while intoxicated.
In response to AsiaOne’s questions, the police stated that at approximately 5:05 pm on Wednesday, April 9, they received a report of an unnatural death at Block 326A Sumang Walk.
The 77-year-old man was declared dead at the spot after being discovered lying still in a residential apartment.
The authorities do not believe that foul play is involved based on preliminary investigations. However, police investigations are still ongoing.
