70-year-old man found dead in Bukit Merah flat; neighbours had noticed foul smell but didn't think much of it

A 70-year-old man's decomposing body was found in his Bukit Merah HDB flat on Thursday (April 25) after a neighbour had noticed a pungent smell emanating from the unit.

The police told AsiaOne that they were alerted to a case of unnatural death at Block 121 Bukit Merah View at 3.28pm that day.

The man was found lying motionless and was pronounced dead at scene.

When a Shin Min Daily News reporter visited the ninth floor of the block at about 5pm on Thursday, it was reported that a foul stench lingered in the corridor.

A 65-year-old woman surnamed Jiang, who lives on the same floor as the deceased, said the man moved in over a year ago and lived alone.

Describing the man as a kind person, Jiang said the deceased would typically exchange greetings and chat with the residents. He would often eat with her and her husband at the community centre and had a good relationship with his neighbours.

"We made plans last week to attend an activity at the community centre together, and he told us to take care of ourselves," she recalled.

"I never thought that the next update from him would be this bad news."

Jiang added that the man had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar. He occasionally had to visit the hospital for medical check-ups but could still walk with no problems.

Other neighbours whom Shin Min spoke to said they had occasionally smelled something rotting but did not think much of the smell.

They had not seen the man for several days, and it is believed he had died a few days ago.

Based on preliminary investigations, the police told AsiaOne they do not suspect foul play. Investigations are ongoing.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com