A 57-year-old woman was found dead inside her Ang Mo Kio flat after neighbours noticed a strong foul smell and flies around the unit, prompting them to alert the authorities.
Police said they received a call for assistance at about 10.50am on Sept. 22 at Block 464 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. The woman was found lying motionless inside a residential unit and was pronounced dead at the scene. Preliminary investigations found no suspected foul play, while investigations remain ongoing.
The woman was reportedly living alone in a three-room flat and had stayed there for more than 10 years. A neighbour told local media that she was generally quiet and rarely interacted with residents. He said the last time he saw her was about a week before she was discovered.
Residents had reportedly noticed a strong odour coming from the area for two to three days. At first, the smell was believed to have come from a dead rat. The situation changed when a neighbour noticed that the flat’s door was slightly open and that flies were gathering outside.
The neighbour’s 80-year-old mother reportedly alerted the authorities after realising that the smell was coming from inside the flat. When officers opened the unit, the odour was reportedly strong enough that some residents on the same floor used masks. The woman was found in the living room.
The woman had previously lived with her parents, according to neighbours, but had been living alone since both of them died. Her death has once again highlighted how residents living alone can sometimes go unnoticed for days before neighbours realise something may be wrong.
Police have not indicated that a crime was involved, and the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death have not been publicly disclosed. Further investigations are ongoing.
