News
Body of S'porean man, 70, found in a state of decomposition in Batam residential unit
His neighbours said he lived alone and suffered from severe chronic diseases.
June 11, 2025, 06:35 PM
The decomposing body of a 70-year-old Singaporean man was found in his residential unit in Batam, Indonesia, at around 4pm (Western Indonesian time) on Jun. 7.
According to local police, the deceased was suspected to have died five days before his body was found, reported Indonesian news outlet TribunBatam.
Neighbours also told the police that the deceased lived alone in his unit and suffered from severe chronic diseases, reported Batam News Asia (BNA).
Based on preliminary investigations, the police did not find "immediate evidence of foul play".
The police has since contacted the deceased's wife, who was in Singapore, and asked her to go to Batam immediately.
Police alerted after neighbours noticed foul smell
According to TribunBatam, the deceased's residential unit was located in Sekupang district.
The head of Sekupang police's criminal investigation unit, Iptu Ridho Lubis, said residents of the deceased's estate became concerned about the late man's well-being after noticing he had not left his unit for almost a week.
When the residents noticed the foul smell coming from the deceased's unit, they immediately reported the matter to the security officers working at their estate, added Ridho.
Later on, a security officer alerted the police, and police officers opened the deceased's unit door upon arrival.
Inside the unit, they found the body of the deceased, who was wearing a floral shirt without pants, lying on his right side.
His body was subsequently sent to a local hospital for autopsy.
Cause of death to be determined
According to Sekupang police chief Kompol Benhur Gultom, preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased suffered from severe chronic diseases, reported BNA.
He added that police officers found a number of medications in the deceased's unit, which included Panadol Extra and medications for cardiovascular diseases.
Additionally, the deceased's neighbour also said he had suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol, BNA reported Ridho as saying.
As of Jun. 9, the Sekupang police were waiting for the deceased's autopsy report to determine his cause of death.
At the same time, the authorities had requested the deceased's wife to go to Batam to assist with further investigations.
Top image via TribunBatam
