Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.
Police officers found a father and daughter dead in their eighth-floor Sengkang HDB flat after neighbours had not seen them for over a month.
Shin Min Daily News reported that officers made the grisly discovery on Monday (6 Oct) afternoon at Block 324D Sengkang East Way.
Source: Google Maps
The deceased woman has been identified as 47-year-old Ms Xu Na, a former resident of the block.
Police are appealing for her next-of-kin to come forward.
A 44-year-old neighbour named Mr Zeng (transliterated from Mandarin) told Shin Min that his elderly mother had called him at about 6am that morning.
His mother, who lives on the seventh floor of the block, complained to him about a foul odour and something leaking from the ceiling.
When he arrived at her place at about 9am, he noticed that the red liquid was sticky and smelled bad.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
He cleaned it up using paper towels, but the foul smell lingered, worsening even after he left for work.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Sensing something was amiss, he called the police.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) told MS News it received an alert about an unnatural death at about 1.35pm on 6 Oct.
They discovered the body of a 47-year-old woman lying motionless in the living room.
Officers also found a man in a bedroom, his body in a highly decomposed state.
Both of them were pronounced dead at the scene.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Shin Min Daily News reported that the man had decomposed to skeletal remains, and investigators needed additional tests to confirm his identity.
Shin Min observed that the police had cordoned off the area until around 7pm after spending about six hours conducting investigations.
During this time, the two bodies were taken away.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Police officers also took away items from the unit in large bags.
Police investigations are ongoing.
In a news release on 7 Oct, the police stated that they are seeking Ms Xu’s next-of-kin.
Anyone with information is requested to call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.
All information will be kept strictly confidential.
Ms He (transliterated from Mandarin), a neighbour on the same floor, said a family of three used to live in the unit.
Residents did not see the older female resident after 2017, and Ms He suspected she had passed away.
Subsequently, both the father and daughter kept to themselves and rarely interacted with others.
The man would leave the flat wearing a mask and hat, then return with two packets of rice, but ignored her greetings, she added.
Neighbours saw the woman behaving strangely and talking to herself.
Another neighbour, aged 69, recalled seeing the woman clapping and singing at the lift lobby.
He believed that the man was taking care of his daughter, who had mental problems.
However, neither of them had caused any problems in the neighbourhood, he said.
All the residents interviewed had expressed surprise at the news of the deaths.
The last time any of them had seen the father and daughter was at the end of August, they said.
Additionally, various residents had complained about a strange smell for several weeks.
A 75-year-old neighbour named Ms Zeng (transliterated from Mandarin) described the smell as like “belachan“.
Another 10th-floor resident said she had complained to the authorities about the smell, which had become more pronounced over the past few days, prompting her to close her windows.
More than one resident reported that the authorities had inquired about the smell.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.