Neighbours' concern over foul odour leads to elderly man's body being found in Bukit Batok flat
Neighbours alerted police after discovering an uncollected stack of newspapers and a worsening foul odour outside an elderly man's Bukit Batok flat. The man was later found dead inside the unit, adding to a series of similar cases involving seniors living alone.
- Neighbours reported a foul odour and uncollected newspapers before an elderly man was found dead in Bukit Batok.
- Police arrived within 10 minutes after receiving the report and began investigations.
- The case adds to growing concerns over lonely deaths as Singapore's elderly population continues to increase.
SINGAPORE: An elderly man was found dead inside his flat after neighbours alerted police upon noticing a worsening foul odour and a large stack of uncollected newspapers outside his home.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the body was discovered at about 10am on 5 July 2026 in a maisonette unit near Bukit Batok Street 21.
A female neighbour living nearby told Shin Min that the elderly resident lived alone in the unit.
She said neighbours first noticed an unpleasant smell on 4 July.
"My flat is a little further away, so I could only smell it when the wind blew in our direction. We discussed it and decided to check again the next day before deciding whether to call the police," she said.
Uncollected newspapers raised alarm
When neighbours returned on the morning of 5 July, they found the odour had become much stronger.
They also noticed that newspapers delivered to the unit had not been collected.
"Sometimes neighbours go overseas, so it isn't unusual to see newspapers left outside. But this time there was a huge stack, with the earliest copy dated 21 June. We felt something was wrong and quickly called the police," the neighbour said.
According to the neighbours, police officers arrived within about 10 minutes after receiving the report and immediately began investigations.
A neighbour said the elderly man was quiet and rarely interacted with others, although he would occasionally greet people.
Nearby residents also said he had been living alone for about 30 years and appeared to have few relatives.
"A relative, believed to be his sister, used to visit and help look after his flat, but we have not seen her for quite some time."
Growing concern over ‘lonely deaths’
The latest case comes after several similar incidents involving elderly residents living alone.
On 20 June 2026, a 73-year-old man was found dead inside his flat at Block 994A Buangkok Crescent after his employer raised the alarm when he failed to report for work for two consecutive days.
Earlier, on 13 June 2026, two elderly residents were found dead in separate Housing Board flats in Bedok and Ang Mo Kio after neighbours alerted the authorities to foul odours coming from their units.
The recent discoveries have renewed concerns over so-called "lonely deaths" in Singapore as the country becomes a super-aged society in 2026, with more than 20 per cent of its population aged 65 and above.
Figures compiled by social service group Loving Heart from media reports and online sources such as Death Kopitiam Singapore indicate that at least 33 seniors died undetected in 2025, compared with at least 42 cases in 2024.
Authorities do not systematically track such deaths, according to a 2024 parliamentary reply.
In October 2025, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said there were about 87,000 residents aged 65 and older living alone in 2024 — a 50 per cent increase from 58,000 in 2018.
He noted that community outreach efforts, including befriending programmes by the Silver Generation Office, grassroots volunteers and active ageing centres, are key to preventing such cases.
