An 81-year-old man was found dead in his HDB flat in Bukit Merah after a neighbor reported a persistent foul smell emanating from his unit. Reports stated that the elderly man was found motionless and was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene.
The police said that they received a call for assistance at around 11.10 am on Saturday, May 31, at Block 117 Bukit Merah View.
The 68-year-old neighbor, surnamed Zhuo (transliterated), told Shin Min Daily News that the deceased lived alone for almost 14 years.
Zhuo said that he noticed a terrible odor three days before filing a police report on Saturday, and that he hadn’t seen his elderly neighbor in several weeks.
The deceased’s roommate sprayed insecticide in attempt to mask the odour, but to no avail.
Zhuo reportedly had difficulty sleeping due to the stench and eventually filed a police report as the smell intensified.
Another resident on the same floor informed Shin Min that the deceased appeared to be in good health and would go downstairs to buy food on a daily basis.
She had also detected a terrible odor recently but dismissed it as the scent of garbage that occasionally pervaded the estate.
Based on preliminary investigations, the authorities believe that there is no foul play. However, police investigations are ongoing.
