69-year-old woman found dead in Changi flat following days of pungent smell
A 69-year-old woman was found dead in her Changi flat after neighbours noticed a foul smell lingering for days. The odour was initially dismissed as rotten food, but it worsened, prompting someone to alert the police.
SINGAPORE: A 69-year-old woman was found dead in her flat on Wednesday evening (2 July), after neighbours reported a foul stench that had lingered for days.
The incident occurred at around 6pm at Block 30, New Upper Changi Road, where the woman is believed to have been living alone in a three-room HDB flat.
According to residents, the smell had lingered in the corridor for several days before someone finally alerted the authorities.
Hong, 20, a resident in the block, told Shin Min Daily News that he saw several police officers entering the flat earlier in the evening.
He later learnt that a body had been found inside.
When reporters from Shin Min arrived at the scene around 8pm, several police vehicles and a hearse were stationed at the foot of the block.
A strong odour filled the corridor near the unit, and police officers were seen taking photographs inside the flat.
Hong said the woman was believed to be living alone and generally kept to herself.
“She was rather introverted and didn’t interact much with neighbours,” he added.
Another resident, Liao, 34, who works at a nearby stall, said the flat’s windows and doors were usually shut, and that she had not seen the woman around the neighbourhood for some time.
She recalled detecting a strange smell as early as last week, though it was not strong at first.
“The smell got worse over the past few days, so someone must have become suspicious and called the police,” she said.
Other neighbours said they had initially assumed the odour was from rotten food and did not think to report it.
At approximately 8.30pm on the same day, the coroner removed the body from the unit and placed it into a black vehicle.
In response to queries from Shin Min, the Singapore Police Force confirmed the case.
String of solitary deaths raises alarm over senior isolation in urban Singapore
This case adds to a series of similar deaths in recent months, sparking concerns about elderly people living alone without adequate support.
On 12 June 2025, a man in his sixties was found dead in his Queenstown flat, several days after his passing.
On 31 May 2025, the body of an 81-year-old man was found in his rental flat at Block 117, Bukit Merah View. He had been dead for some time.
On 1 May 2025, Lianhe Zaobao reported the case of a man in his seventies found dead in his home at Block 8 North Bridge Road.
Neighbours said they had recently seen him greeting people before his sudden death.
In March, a 71-year-old man’s skeletal remains were found in his Sims Place flat after workers spotted the body through a window while using a gondola system.
On 15 December 2024, the decomposing bodies of 71-year-old Lim Eng Keong and 67-year-old Mary Ong were found in their Jurong flat. Both were believed to have died of natural causes.
Then-MP for Jurong Spring ward, Shawn Huang, described the couple as active and friendly participants at a local Active Ageing Centre. He emphasised the need for stronger community support for seniors.
Data tracking gaps
Concerns have also been raised in Parliament over the lack of data on elderly people who die alone.
According to The Straits Times, the Ministry of Health does not track such deaths, though the Health Sciences Authority handles fewer than 100 unclaimed bodies annually.
The police also do not keep statistics on such cases, a point confirmed by Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam on 7 August 2024.
Workers’ Party MP Dennis Tan questioned whether relevant agencies receive data on such cases to help prevent future incidents. Shanmugam said that while police do not track the data, they refer isolated seniors encountered during patrols to appropriate services.
Parliamentary calls for improvement
In May 2023, MP Yip Hon Weng proposed better monitoring and intervention for seniors resistant to community engagement. He stressed that tracking such cases could prevent similar deaths.
Minister of State for National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim cited initiatives under the Ageing Action Plan, including the Live Well, Age Well programme and outreach by Silver Generation Ambassadors.
However, he acknowledged the importance of broader community involvement to identify at-risk seniors.
Dennis Tan also called for increased resources for Active Ageing Centres and better access for staff to check on seniors.
The Online Citizen has begun documenting solitary deaths in Singapore through its politicalsg wiki, providing a centralised resource for tracking such incidents.
