Man, 77, found dead in Punggol flat, last seen by neighbour over a week ago

After not seeing his 77-year-old neighbour for more than a week, a resident of Block 326A Sumang Walk decided to check in on him by knocking on his door on Apr. 9.

As no one answered the door, the resident pushed open the wooden door, and he immediately noticed a smell, reported Shin Min Daily News.

In response, other residents of the public housing block alerted the police, and the elderly man was subsequently found lying motionless in his flat.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Deceased lived alone

When Shin Min reporters arrived at the public housing block at around 9pm on Wednesday, they saw two police officers standing in front of the deceased's unit.

The smell coming from the flat was noticeable in the common corridor.

According to the deceased's neighbours, he had lived alone in the public housing block for more than five years.

Although the deceased would greet other residents whenever they met, he kept a low profile and never talked about his family or his past.

One of his neighbours also said they had never seen anyone visiting him during festivals and holidays.

Deceased appeared unwell: neighbour

The resident, who checked in on the deceased, told Shin Min that when they saw the neighbour last week, he was "visibly unwell" and "appeared quite weak".

Another resident claimed that the deceased had once threatened to take his own life at the end of 2024, but was rescued by the authorities.

The resident added that they had also called the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to the public housing block one night after they spotted the deceased lying along the common corridor and he had appeared intoxicated.

Police statement

In response to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Police Force confirmed they were alerted to a case of unnatural death at around 5:05pm on Apr. 9.

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

Police investigations are ongoing.

On Apr. 10, the police also issued a news release, appealing for the next-of-kin of a 77-year-old man named Peter Charles to come forward.

Besides his age, Charles' address and date of passing also correspond to those of the deceased found on Wednesday.

Those with information can contact the police at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online here.

All information will be kept strictly confidential, said the police.

Top images via Shin Min Daily News