Man, 61, found dead in Ang Mo Kio flat after neighbours noticed week-long absence and foul smell

A 61-year-old man was found dead in his Housing Board flat in Ang Mo Kio on the morning of 17 July 2026 after neighbours, concerned by a persistent foul smell and his unexplained absence for about a week, alerted the authorities.

Police said they received a call for assistance at about 9am at a third-floor unit in Block 510 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Preliminary investigations found no evidence of foul play. Police investigations are ongoing.

Neighbours noticed unusual silence

According to Shin Min Daily News, residents said the man had lived in the flat for more than three decades and was well known for following the same daily routine.

Neighbour Suriana, a 44-year-old teacher, said he would leave home on his mobility scooter between 5am and 6am each morning to have coffee at a nearby coffee shop.

She also noticed that incense, which was usually lit inside his home every day, had not been burning for about a week.

"I hadn't seen him for almost a week, and I also didn't smell the incense anymore. When I noticed the strong odour that morning, I felt something was wrong and called the police," she said.

She added that a social worker would leave two packed meals outside the man's unit every evening. Although he occasionally failed to collect them, the meals would normally be removed the following day, so she did not immediately suspect anything was amiss.

Family says he kept little contact

The man's elder brother, Pan Jiaying, 68, said the family consisted of eight brothers and two sisters, with the deceased being the seventh sibling.

"I haven't seen him for four or five years. He never married and had no children. Because of his weight, it became increasingly difficult for him to move around, so he relied on a mobility scooter," he said.

Pan said his brother had previously worked as a pest control worker and later as a cleaner before stopping work because of mobility issues.

According to family members and neighbours, the man had struggled with obesity for many years and was affectionately known in the neighbourhood by a nickname referencing his large build.

Another resident, Wu, 35, said the deceased regularly ordered a large cup of black coffee and two eggs every morning.

"I guessed he was trying to manage his weight," Wu said.

Renewed concern over lonely deaths

The latest case has drawn renewed attention to the issue of people, particularly elderly residents living alone, being found dead in their homes days after their deaths.

On 7 July, a 63-year-old man was found dead in his flat at Block 285 Yishun Avenue 6 after neighbours reported a persistent foul smell and an unusual increase in flies.

Two days earlier, on 5 July, another elderly resident was found dead after neighbours alerted the authorities over a worsening odour and a pile of uncollected newspapers outside his flat.

Earlier in June, a 73-year-old man in Buangkok, as well as two elderly residents living in separate Housing Board flats in Bedok and Ang Mo Kio, were also found dead after employers or neighbours raised the alarm.

MSF: Seniors living alone rose from 41,200 to 88,400 in 10 years

Singapore became a super-aged society in 2026, with more than 20 per cent of its population aged 65 and above.

According to the Family Trends Report 2026 released by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on 10 July, the number of residents aged 65 and above living alone more than doubled over the decade, from 41,200 (2015) to 88,400 (2025), even as the elderly resident population grew to 768,800.

Figures compiled by social service group Loving Heart from media reports and online sources, including Death Kopitiam Singapore, indicate that at least 33 seniors died undetected in 2025, compared with at least 42 cases in 2024.

MOH does not track or publish data on seniors found dead alone at home

On 7 July, Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung said the Ministry of Health (MOH) does not systematically track or publish the number of seniors who die alone at home and are discovered only days later.

In a written reply to separate Parliamentary Questions from Workers' Party MP Fadli Fawzi and Nominated MP Dr Neo Kok Beng, Ong said the ministry's priority is preventing such situations by identifying and supporting vulnerable seniors before crises occur.

Fadli had asked whether the Government would begin tracking and publishing the number of seniors whose deaths were detected only days after they had passed away at home, and if not, why.

Dr Neo asked whether MOH would consider partnering with social organisations to develop, pilot or subsidise small home robots to monitor the wellbeing of seniors living alone following recent cases of undetected deaths.

Community outreach and technology

Responding to the questions, Ong said, "MOH's focus is upstream – to reach out to as many seniors as we can and provide support to those who are vulnerable, such as referring them to Active Ageing Centres."

He added that the Silver Generation Office under the Agency for Integrated Care systematically conducts outreach to identify seniors who may be at risk.

Ong also said neighbours, community groups and grassroots organisations play an important role in looking out for vulnerable seniors and providing assistance where needed.

He said the Government has also expanded the use of technology to support seniors living alone.

According to Ong, the Housing and Development Board has progressively extended its wireless Alert Alarm System to seniors living in public rental blocks, enabling them to call for assistance during emergencies.

He added that MOH rolled out its enhanced Home Personal Care service nationwide in April 2026.

Under the scheme, eligible seniors may subscribe to a 24-hour monitoring and response system capable of detecting falls and providing timely assistance.

This is not the first time the issue has been raised in Parliament.

In a parliamentary reply in 2025, Ong had similarly said that MOH does not systematically track such deaths.