Two people who were living alone were discovered dead in separate Housing Board flats in Toa Payoh and Sengkang on Monday, March 23, with both cases believed to have occurred several days before they were found.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the bodies in both cases were discovered in a state of decomposition, with a strong stench reported in the surrounding corridors.
The first case involved a 74-year-old man who lived at Block 194 Kim Keat Avenue in Toa Payoh. A Shin Min Daily News reporter who arrived at the scene on Monday morning noted a pungent smell in the air, with mosquito coils placed outside the unit.
A neighbour living on the same floor told the Chinese publication that the man was often seen going out and did not appear to have mobility issues. "I've never seen anyone visit him, and he had always lived alone," he told Shin Min Daily News, adding that while they occasionally exchanged greetings, they were not close.
The police said that they were informed about the case of unnatural death at about 6.50 am. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and preliminary investigations indicate that foul play is not suspected. Investigations are ongoing.
In a separate incident later that same day, police were alerted to another case of unnatural death at Block 117A Rivervale Drive in Sengkang.
Shin Min Daily News reported that the deceased was a middle-aged woman who had been living alone following her mother's death. A neighbour told the publication, "She didn't really socialise, so we were not very familiar with her."
The report added that a similar stench lingered along the corridor, prompting a resident to call the police. Officers were seen interviewing neighbours to gather more information about the woman.
One neighbour, identified as Salam (transliteration), who lives in the unit below, told Shin Min Daily News that he had last seen her about four or five days earlier while she was hanging laundry. "Her behaviour changed after her mother's death. Sometimes at night, she would talk loudly to herself and argue with people outside the window," he said.
"Her house was always dark; I don't know if it was because there was no electricity," he added.
The police said that based on preliminary investigations in the second case, foul play is also not suspected. Investigations into both deaths are still ongoing.
