Man, 70, dies in MacPherson fire, his family declines to arrange his funeral

A 70-year-old man died in an early morning fire at Block 39 Circuit Road on Jul. 28 and his family has declined to help with identifying his body and arranging his funeral, Shin Min Daily News reported.

According to the Chinese-language paper, the man lived alone in a ninth-floor unit.

He died after a fire broke out at around 2am.

Family declined to help with funeral

Neighbours told Shin Min that the man was a recluse and did not leave his home often.

They also shared that he did not get many visitors over the years.

Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling told Shin Min that the victim had relied on the Silver Scheme Support to get by.

Tin added that the man and his family were estranged.

The relevant authorities have contacted the family, and they turned down the request to identify his body or help with the funeral arrangements, according to Tin.

"We have already contacted Cheng Hong Welfare Service Society, and they will help with his funeral arrangements. As the elderly man had accumulated a number of belongings prior to his death, we will also be making arrangements for these items," Tin shared.

Deceased divorced for some years

Next-door neighbour Liang (transliteration), 51, said the elderly man had been divorced for some years, Shin Min wrote.

The elderly man had in the past sought help from Liang to contact his daughter after he was hospitalised following a fall, but Liang said she could not reach her.

"He later said there was no need to look for his daughter anymore," Liang recalled.