The decomposing body of a 60-year-old woman was found in a HDB flat at Block 704, Yishun Avenue 5 on May 7, 2020.

Pungent smell prompted neighbour to alert police

According to Lianhe Wanbao, the woman's body was turning black and gave off a pungent smell, which prompted her neighbours to make a police report.

The police confirmed that they were alerted to the case on May 7, at 1:50pm.

A woman was found motionless lying down at her home and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The woman had died for about five days, according to the report.

Intellectually-disabled daughter at home with the rotting body

The deceased woman's daughter, in her 30s, was found with the body in the house.

She had been staying at home with the body for the past few days, but did not know how to make a police report and did not dare to leave the house.

A neighbour, Huang, told the reporter that the daughter stayed beside the elderly woman's body, and did not seem to be aware that her mother had passed away.

Wanbao reported that it understands that the deceased was lying near the door in the living room.

Huang added that the mother and daughter have been staying in the unit for about 30 years and the daughter appeared to be intellectually-disabled as she behaves like a child and carries a doll around.

Another neighbour also shared that they are not very well-to-do and are described as "very poor thing".

She said that both mother and daughter did not seem to be mentally well, but the mother would still greet neighbours and held a job as a dish collector at the coffee shop when she was alive.

However, the daughter would only follow her mother out and did not interact with strangers.

The deceased's husband does not stay with them, according to the neighbour.

This case has been classified as unnatural death.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Top photo via Google Maps