Workers painting exterior of Geylang block discover man's skeletal remains in flat

While repainting the exterior facade of a HDB block in Geylang, a worker was shocked to see the skeletal remains of a person in the bedroom of a flat. 

The police were called in to Block 63 Sims Place, where an elderly man who lived alone was found dead, reported Shin Min Daily News. 

In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they received a call for assistance at about 2.10pm on Friday (March 28). A 71-year-old man was found lying motionless in a residential unit and pronounced dead at scene.

A Shin Min reporter who arrived at the scene at about 4pm the same day noted that the windows in the flat were not fully shut, and the house was filled with clutter.

A notice pasted on the ground floor of the block stated that renovation works are ongoing, and a gondola system was installed.

One of the workers told the Chinese evening daily he was repainting the building facade and had detected a strange odour when the gondola passed by the flat. The 27-year-old immediately informed his supervisor and called the police.

Another worker claimed he saw the remains on a bed, as well as a shirt and pants close by. Shin Min quoted the man as saying that there were "only bones left".

One neighbour, 73, said the deceased rarely interacted with others and would typically leave his home only at night.

His next-door neighbour, surnamed Chen, said she had not seen the man in a "long time" but did not notice any foul smell.

Another resident surnamed Wang, 70, added that the deceased often brought bottles and scrap items home, and ants and cockroaches would scuttle out of the flat.

Last seen in 2024

Wang told 8world he had not seen the man since last year, but did not notice anything amiss as the deceased seldom left the flat during the day.

Lin, 71, who lives in the unit below the man's, told Shin Min the insects had appeared in her flat last year and she had occasionally noticed an odour. 

"I didn't go upstairs to ask and I have never met him before," she said, adding that the situation improved after she sprayed insecticide and sealed her door.

Based on preliminary investigations, the police said they do not suspect foul play and investigations are ongoing.

lim.kewei@asiaone.com

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