Man who lives with dad in Hougang flat didn't realise he was dead till 3 days later

For three days, a man who lived in the same flat as his father had no idea that the latter had died.

The 41-year-old only made the grim discovery when he noticed a pungent smell emanating from his 63-year-old father's room on Thursday (May 23) afternoon, reported Shin Min Daily News.

They live in a three-room flat at Block 109, Hougang Avenue 1.

Riduan, who works as a cleaner, told the Chinese evening daily that his mother died last year. His father would typically stay in his room by himself with the door locked.

"I last saw him at about 8pm on Monday when he came out to take some food before going back to his room. As my dad rarely leaves his room, I didn't notice anything amiss," he explained.

"My dad scolded me last time when I knocked on his door and told me not to disturb his sleep."

Riduan had just woken from a nap at around 4.40pm on Thursday when he noticed a foul stench. He initially thought his cat had died, but found it roaming in the living room.

When Riduan knocked on the door of his father's room, there was no response. At a loss on what to do next, he called his relatives, who came to help him search for the key to open the door.

He recounted: "I entered the room and saw that my father wasn't on the bed. Then I glanced into the toilet and saw my father lying on his side with blood around his head. I also saw some maggots on his head."

The family immediately called for an ambulance. The man's body was taken away at around 9pm.

Riduan said that his father was a man of few words who seldom talked about his personal issues.

He suffered from a swollen leg and would regularly take painkillers, Riduan added.

"During Ramadan last year, both his legs had been swollen for almost a year, yet he didn't seek treatment. We urged him to see a doctor, but he refused."

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they were alerted to a case of unnatural death at around 5.05pm on Thursday.

A 63-year-old man was found lying motionless in a residential unit and was pronounced dead at scene.

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

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com