Man, 94, found dead in Toa Payoh flat; neighbours hadn't seen him for 2 weeks
He lived alone but hadn't been seen outside his flat in about two weeks. Just days earlier, neighbours reported a foul smell emitting from his flat. Knocks on his front door also went unanswered.
When police finally entered his home on Wednesday (Oct 4) at about 1pm, they found the decomposing body of a 94-year-old man in the one-room flat at Block 54 Toa Payoh Lorong 5, reported Shin Min Daily News.
According to the Chinese daily, a reader had tipped off the paper upon seeing multiple police cars parked below the HDB block.
Reporters who went down to investigate noticed a foul smell the minute they exited the lift on the 12th floor. Both ends of the corridor were cordoned off, with several police officers standing in front of the unit where the body was reportedly found.
The deceased's next door neighbour, identified as Kamis, 31, told Shin Min that he had not seen the elderly man for about two weeks. He added that they would usually greet each other whenever they met but said that the deceased was a man of few words.
Kamis shared that he'd noticed a foul stench four days ago which aroused his suspicious. He knocked on the elderly man's door twice but no one answered. The smell got stronger as the days passed and the police were eventually alerted, said Kamis.
Another neighbour, surnamed Wang, shared that the deceased had once revealed that he had children, but no one had ever seen them visit the man.
According to other residents whom Shin Min interviewed, the deceased was always alone, with no visitors even during the new year holidays. Other residents in the estate described the man as tall and of a slim build, they also said he was quiet but kind, and added that he'd worked in a fast food restaurant in his earlier days.
Another neighbour lamented at how the elderly man had lived alone for decades and died alone at home without anyone knowing.
In response to AsiaOne's queries, police confirmed that they had received a call for assistance on Oct 4 at 10.40am.
According to a police statement, a 94-year-old man was found lying motionless inside the unit and was pronounced dead on the scene. It added that based on preliminary findings, no foul play is suspected and police investigations are ongoing.
