After a mysterious foul smell was detected for two days, the source of the stench was found to be a dead man in his Punggol flat.
The morbid discovery was made on National Day (9 Aug) at Block 233A Sumang Lane, reported Shin Min Daily News.
Foul odour causes neighbour to lose her appetite
A 70-year-old retiree named only as Awa (transliterated from Mandarin) told the paper that she smelt the odour from her home a few days before.
The “unbearable” smell led her to close the windows and eat in the kitchen, and even caused her to lose her appetite for the past two days.
On Thursday (8 Aug) evening, she and her daughter scoured a number of floors in the block to search for the source of the smell.
Eventually, she pinpointed the unit from which it came but gave up after nobody answered the door.
Residents call the police
On Friday (9 Aug) morning, Awa sought help from the residents on the 14th floor, who in turn tapped five or six residents from the 10th floor.
Some younger residents then decided to call the police.
A 19-year-old student named He Xinying (transliterated from Mandarin), who lives on the 10th floor, told Shin Min that neighbours initially thought Awa had fallen ill.
But they decided to call the police after detecting the stench.
One of her companions even vomited when they smelt it from the top of the stairs.
Man found dead in Punggol flat
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed that a 59-year-old man was found dead in the Punggol flat.
No foul play is suspected based on preliminary investigations.
Police investigations are ongoing.
When Shin Min reporters arrived at the scene, the strong stench still permeated the block.