The lone dead: Block 100 Aljunied Crescent
A strong stench of decomposition led a community volunteer to a rental unit on the tenth storey of Block 100 Aljunied Crescent, where a 69-year-old lady was found dead on Jan 8.
A resident, Mr Zhang, who lives on the eleventh storey, was reported to have detected a foul smell a week before Jan 8, though he was unable to detect the source of the smell. The smell became so unbearable, and Mr Zhang grew increasingly concerned that he contacted Mdm Choo, a community volunteer, for assistance.
Mdm Choo told Shin Min Daily News that she delivers food for elderly residents staying at Block 100 on a weekly basis. Upon receiving the distress call from Mr Zhang, she began to source for the origin of the foul smell, beginning from the sixth storey – she eventually found an unbearable smell of decomposition emanating from a unit on the tenth storey, the unit directly below that of Mr Zhang.
The Police was notified and began to cordon off the area. Police officers armed with gloves entered the unit and began their investigations - a 69-year-old was found lying dead in the unit.
Shin Min Daily News, 10 January 2023
When interviewed, the Police confirmed that they were alerted to a case of unnatural death on Jan 8, 2.35pm. A 69-year-old lady was found lying dead in a unit at Block 100, Aljunied Crescent. She was pronounced death on the scene. No foul play was suspected.
The deceased was believed to have been dead for at least seven days. In fact, Mr Yeo, a neighbour who lives besides the deceased’s unit, reported a strong smell as early as Jan 4 or 5.
Another neighbour reported last seeing the deceased on Jan 2.
In order to extricate the deceased, who was lying besides her bed, the cleaners from the town council had to clear away daily essentials, cardboard boxes, pails and bonsai pots stored in the unit.
According to Mr Yeo, the deceased was an introverted person and kept to herself, even when taking the lift. She had been living in the unit for the past two years and used to work in a coffeeshop in the Bedok area. She tended to come home late at night. He never had a chance to converse with the deceased, though she was seen feeding cats whilst sitting at the void deck, alone.
A RC member also said that the deceased does not usually open the door to her unit and does not like to interact with anybody.
This is the first dying alone/lone death case reported by the mainstream press in 2023.
Top image: Google maps
