71-year-old man dies in Bedok home, also had neighbours who didn't call police despite stench
A 71-year-old man was found dead in his home at Block 12 Bedok South Avenue 2 on Feb 2.
In response to a Stomp query, the police said they were alerted to a case of unnatural death at around 5.15pm.
The elderly man was found lying motionless in a residential unit and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play.
The man was reportedly last seen on Jan 28 with his living room lights turned on.
A neighbour on the same floor said he first detected an odour on Jan 31 but did not think much of it, only for the smell became increasingly unbearable.
"The man would come out to clean the corridor outside his house daily. Recently, rubbish started piling up in the corridor and I hadn't seen him in three to four days. I thought it was strange, so I called the police," the 52-year-old resident told Shin Min Daily News.
He also recounted how he had looked into the flat when police arrived at the scene: "The man was lying face down on the living room floor and surrounded by blood. He was fully naked, with his head facing the door, and his feet facing the kitchen. The whole house stank."
Another neighbour, 82, said the man would clean the corridor and greet people warmly every day.
She added: "I smelled the stench on Jan 30, but did not expect it to be him."
Similarly, a 53-year-old man died in his flat at Block 510 West Coast Drive last month but no one called the police despite noticing a foul smell for days.
"It's Chinese New Year, so I felt uncomfortable mentioning such things," said one neighbour, adding that she did not want to cause a misunderstanding.
