Man, 72, dead for several days in Whampoa flat, neighbours found out after 'brown droplets' seep through ceiling

A 72-year-old man was found dead in his Whampoa Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat after neighbours reported a lingering odour that persisted for days.

Brown droplets, believed to be bodily fluids from the man's corpse, also seeped through the floor of his flat at Block 76 Lorong Limau.

Residents initially attributed it to either a burst water pipe or a garbage truck, according to Shin Min Daily News.

Thought it was a garbage truck

One resident told Shin Min that she initially thought a garbage truck was collecting trash nearby, and did not think much of the smell.

But she became suspicious after it failed to dissipate after three days.

Another resident, who lived in the downstairs unit, reportedly noticed the stench and brown droplets pooling on her ceiling.

But she attributed it to a burst water pipe.

"The water droplets had a strange odour, and kept flowing down from the ceiling and dripping onto the floor, which was very bothersome," she said.

She sought help from HDB, which found no issue with the plumbing system.

Finally, a group of residents decided to call the police instead.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said it received a report about a non-natural death on May 16.

The deceased was found lying motionless in his three-room flat and pronounced dead at the scene.

Preliminary investigations have ruled out homicide, Shin Min reported.

Man rarely interacted with neighbours

Neighbours said that the deceased man rarely interacted with his neighbours and had few visitors since his mother passed away during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He was also described as a quiet person who did not talk much, but would water his flowers every morning.

"We wouldn't find it strange if we didn't see him for two or three days," neighbours told the media.