60-year-old woman found decomposing in HDB flat after neighbour noticed stench and called police

A 60-year-old woman was found deceased and decomposing in an HDB flat on the first day of Chinese New Year (Feb 10).

The body was discovered around noon that day at Block 3 Jalan Bukit Merah after neighbours noticed a foul stench and called the police.

Su (transliteration), a 62-year-old neighbour, told Shin Min Daily News he had noticed the smell the previous day. 

"At that time, I felt the stench — like the smell of rotting meat — was unbearable, so I called the police," he said.

When reporters arrived at the flat, there were three police officers standing outside the unit. Police had cordoned off the scene and were collecting evidence.

They confirmed to reporters that they had received a report of an unnatural death. They found the woman lying in the unit and declared her dead on the spot.

Police did not reveal how long the woman may have been deceased for but ruled out the possibility of homicide. Investigations are ongoing for the case.

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A neighbour who lived opposite the unit, 18-year-old Rahman (transliteration), told reporters: "The deceased did not live in this unit, but seemed to live on the ninth floor. This unit belonged to her friend, who is believed to be in prison.

"She may have helped to look after the unit, so she occasionally came to stay over."

He added that he last saw the woman a week ago and that she usually stayed in the unit "for a day or two".

"We only recently noticed the rotten smell. We didn't expect that she had died in the unit," he said.

'He was looking forward to Raya': Elderly man found dead in flat

Last year, an elderly Malay man was also found deceased in a Bukit Merah flat just two days before another festival, Hari Raya.

An employee of DDQ Services, which provides after-death cleaning services, shared about the incident on TikTok: "Upon entering the room, I was confronted with a shocking sight. The flood was almost ankle-deep, a combination of water from a choked sewage pipe, bodily fluids and remnants of decay."

"I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the tragedy that had unfolded in this tiny room," he added.

The deceased reportedly also had left his outfit for Hari Raya neatly prepared.

"These items stood in stark contrast to the horrifying scene surrounding them, and they served as a poignant reminder of the pakcik's (uncle's) anticipation for the upcoming Raya celebration," the trauma cleaner said.

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drimac@asiaone.com