2 bodies in 1 day: Seniors who lived alone found dead in Bukit Batok and Ang Mo Kio

The decomposing bodies of two senior citizens were found in their Bukit Batok and Ang Mo Kio homes on Monday (Aug 5).

In one case, a 72-year-old woman had died in her cluttered three-room flat at Block 146 Bukit Batok West Avenue 6, reported Shin Min Daily News.

A neighbour surnamed Zeng said he last saw the woman about one week ago. After noticing a foul stench last Friday, he knocked on her door once on Saturday and again on Monday but did not receive a response.

He subsequently called the police, leading to the grim discovery.

Due to the piles of plastic bags, papers, furniture and other items in the unit, town council cleaners were called in to clear them out in order for the elderly woman's body to be carried out.

The mounds of rubbish reached over 1.5m in height and clearing a path through the clutter took cleaners about 20 minutes, Shin Min reported. 

The police told AsiaOne that officers found the 72-year-old woman lying unconscious inside the unit, and she was pronounced dead at scene.

That same morning, the body of a 69-year-old man was found in his flat at Block 323 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3.

A neighbour named Judy (transliteration) said she had not seen him in the past four to five days, but did not expect that he'd died.

The deceased's stepdaughter and several other family members were seen outside the unit, teary-eyed, Shin Min reported. A few others burst into tears after exiting the flat.

The police told AsiaOne that the man was found lying motionless in the unit and pronounced dead at scene.

Foul play is not suspected for both cases, and respective investigations are ongoing.

ALSO READ: 3 bodies in 1 week: Elderly residents who lived alone found dead in Whampoa, Clementi and Hougang

lim.kewei@asiaone.com