A man in his 50s who was known to have been a hoarder was found dead in his rental flat in Ang Mo Kio.
Neighbours alerted the authorities to the death after noticing an odour emitting from his flat.
Upon arrival, police officers realised that the sheer number of items in the flat was blocking them from entering.
They then spent about 3.5 hours clearing the way before they were able to retrieve the deceased’s body.
According to Shin Min Daily News, police retrieved the man’s body at around 8pm on Monday (22 Jan).
The flat in question was a rental unit at Block 645 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6.
By the time Shin Min’s reporter arrived at around 9.30pm, the locksmith had already opened the metal gate.
The police had also cordoned off the area and were trying to break down the wooden door.
A resident of the block told Shin Min that a man in his 50s occupied the flat.
Neighbours called the police earlier that day after noticing a foul odour emitting from the flat and were worried something might have happened to him.
The Shin Min reporter noted that they could smell the stench despite standing roughly 15 metres away from the flat.
A 65-year-old male neighbour who wanted to remain anonymous said that the deceased was always bringing old items home.
He also posited that the latter might have been a karang guni or rag-and-bone man.
“Our block consists of rental flats, I’ve lived here for over 30 years. [The deceased] had also been living here for a long time,” the neighbour explained.
Police officers were eventually able to open the wooden door, but were unable to enter the flat immediately, Shin Min reported.
About three to four officers went into the flat first and emerged with items such as a luggage bag, a bicycle, and a television set.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
They proceeded to spend about two hours removing things from the unit before they could enter the house.
Following the arrival of the investigating officer, the police had to take another 1.5 hours to “clear the way” for the forensic doctor to move the body.
Only at around 12.10am were they able to move the deceased into a black car.
Responding to Shin Min’s queries, the police confirmed a case of unnatural death at the aforementioned location.
They said that officers found a 58-year-old man lying motionless in the flat.
Following preliminary investigations, police have ruled out a possible homicide.
Investigations into the case are ongoing.
Also read: 60-Year-Old Man Found Dead In Ang Mo Kio Flat, Foul Smell Also Detected
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News and Google Maps.
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