Residents report foul odour in tap water, leading to discovery of male body inside water tank
Residents in Taipei’s Wenshan District made a gruesome discovery after noticing a foul odour in their tap water — a man’s body was found floating inside the rooftop water tank of their residential building.
According to Taiwan’s ETtoday, the body was discovered on Thursday (11 Sept) when a technician went up to clean the tank and immediately alerted the police.
Victim believed to have fallen into water while trying to climb ladder
Police investigations revealed that the water tower’s internal ladder was broken.
They believe the deceased may have fallen while attempting to climb the ladder, resulting in drowning.
Source: Liberty Times News
The body appeared to have been dead for two to three days.
After analysing palm prints and verifying DNA, authorities identified the deceased as a 40-year-old demolition worker with the surname K, who had a previous theft record.
Police suspect victim was attempting theft
Investigators suspect K may have entered the building on Tuesday (9 Sept), when construction work was ongoing.
Although he was not connected to the project, police do not rule out that he might have sneaked in to look for valuables to steal, but accidentally fell into the water tank and drowned.
Water suspected of being contaminated as body was submerged for days
The building, which houses around 40 to 50 residents, has raised concerns about the potential health risks of drinking water that the corpse may have contaminated.
Source: SETN
Forensic expert Gao Dazheng, however, reassured the public in a previous interview, stating that most household water is boiled, which significantly reduces the risk of poisoning or bacterial infection.
He explained that although “corpse water” may leak out after a body has been submerged for a few days, the boiling of water makes it unlikely to cause harm, although there may be an unpleasant odour.
Residents need not overly worry, Gao emphasised, though the situation remains under investigation.
Also read: Man found dead inside water tank in Bali, identity & cause of death still uncertain
Man found dead inside water tank in Bali, identity & cause of death still uncertain
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Featured image adapted from Liberty Times News and SETN.
