Singapore man, 69, dies an unnatural death alone in Ubi Ave HDB flat 1 month after his son goes overseas to study

Summary

• A 69-year-old man was found dead in his Ubi Avenue 1 HDB flat after neighbours noticed a worsening foul smell.

• The man’s youngest son had moved overseas for studies one month earlier, leaving the father living alone in the flat.

• Police classified the death as unnatural but said preliminary investigations found no suspicion of foul play.

SINGAPORE: A 69-year-old man was found dead in his Ubi Avenue 1 HDB flat on Sept 17, about a month after his youngest son went overseas to study.

The man had been living alone at Block 318 Ubi Avenue 1 after previously sharing the flat with his son. Neighbours became concerned when a foul smell from the unit grew stronger.

Lianhe Zaobao reported the incident on Sept 19. Police said they were alerted to a case of unnatural death at the block at about 6:45 p.m. on Sept 17.

Neighbour traced the smell to his flat

A neighbour, identified as Su, said that she had lived there for about 40 years. She said the deceased moved into the flat around two years ago. She described him as friendly and said they would greet each other when they met.

Ms Su last saw him about five days before he was found dead. The man had four children and had previously lived with his youngest son. The son left Singapore for overseas studies about a month earlier.

Ms Su also said she first noticed the smell several days before the discovery. She initially thought food had spoiled somewhere in her home.

When the smell became stronger, Ms Su and her son searched for its source. They eventually found it was coming from the deceased’s flat and contacted the police.

Police investigations are still ongoing

Police officers were seen entering the 12th-floor unit after the report. The flat’s door and windows were open, while a strong odour could be detected from the corridor.

Police said the man was found lying motionless inside the residential unit and was pronounced dead at the scene. Preliminary investigations found no suspicion of foul play. Police investigations are ongoing.

The case also shows how easily an elderly person living alone can go unnoticed, even in a block filled with neighbours.

A simple check-in from family, friends or neighbours can sometimes make a meaningful difference. In this case, it was the smell that finally alerted people to the fact that something was wrong.