Elderly man found dead in Bukit Batok flat after newspapers seen left outside for 2 weeks

After newspapers piled up outside a Bukit Batok flat and an odour was noticed, residents grew worried and called the police.

The body of an elderly man was then discovered in a unit at Block 14 Bukit Batok Street 21 on Jul. 5 morning, Shin Min Daily News reported.

According to neighbours, an elderly man had been living in the unit alone for about 30 years, and appeared to not have many relatives.

What neighbours observed

Two days before the neighbours alerted the police, they notice an odour coming from the elderly man's unit.

A few of them got together and agreed to observe for another day before deciding to call the police.

The next morning, the odour grew stronger.

The neighbours also noticed that there were more than 10 newspapers left uncollected outside the man's unit.

"Sometimes a person might be travelling, so they would not take in their newspapers," a neighbour told Shin Min. "But it was a huge pile of newspapers, the earliest from Jun. 21. We felt that something was not right, and quickly called the police."

The scene

The police and its crime scene investigation team were then seen at the scene, according to Shin Min.

An incense stick was placed outside the unit.

Around 2pm, a black vehicle arrived, and the police carried the deceased's body out.

A neighbour described the elderly man as quiet and someone who rarely interacted with other residents, but would occasionally greet this neighbour.

"Someone I believe is his sister would come to visit him and clean his house sometimes," the neighbour said. "But it's been a while since I saw her."