Blind neighbour's alert leads to discovery of decomposed body in Hougang flat

A blind retiree's alertness to a foul smell led to the discovery of a decomposed body at a Housing and Development Board rental flat in Hougang on Tuesday, 26 May 2026.

The Singapore Police Force confirmed with Shin Min Daily News that at around noon, a 69-year-old man was found unconscious at a unit on the 10th floor of Block 174C, Hougang Avenue 1. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Based on preliminary investigations, police said the case does not involve any criminal element. Investigations are ongoing.

Blind resident raises the alarm

Shin Min Daily News reporters visited the scene on Tuesday afternoon, where they spoke to a resident on the same floor, identified as Lin (75, retired, blind), who said he had noticed the odour the previous day, Monday, 25 May.

Lin said the smell had grown increasingly strong and that other neighbours on the same floor had also come to investigate. After sensing that something was wrong, he reported the matter to police on Tuesday morning.

Lin expressed sadness over the circumstances, describing the situation of elderly neighbours living alone as a cause for concern.

The deceased, according to Lin, had moved into the rental flat only recently and had been living alone throughout his time there.

Last seen five days before discovery

Another neighbour on the same floor, identified as Su, told reporters that the last time she saw the deceased was five days before the discovery.

Su said that to her knowledge, the man had a son with special needs who came to visit him on occasion.

When reporters arrived at the unit, the front door was locked. A police notice had been affixed to the door, asking relevant persons to contact the police regarding the matter.

Second case in the same block within a week

The discovery at the 10th-floor unit was not the first such case at Block 174C in recent days.

Lin told reporters that as early as Saturday, 23 May 2026, a decomposed body had been found in a unit on the 9th floor — directly below the flat where Tuesday's discovery was made.

Police confirmed that at approximately 10.15am on that day, they were notified that a 70-year-old man had been found unconscious in the unit. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Preliminary investigations indicated no criminal element, and the case remains under investigation.

The two deaths — occurring within the same residential block and within three days of each other — have drawn attention to the vulnerability of elderly residents living alone in Singapore's rental housing estates, and to the role that neighbours continue to play in detecting when something has gone wrong.