Baby's body found at foot of Hougang HDB block, 18-year-old woman aiding investigations

SINGAPORE — A body was found at the foot of Block 166 Hougang Avenue 1 on Wednesday (March 29) morning and an 18-year-old woman is assisting with investigations.

The police said it was alerted to a case of unnatural death at 11.30am on Wednesday.

When The Straits Times arrived at the scene at around 1.20pm, a blue tent was seen at a grass patch next to the block.

A police investigator was briefly seen holding the body, the size of a foetus, wrapped in a pink towel when the tent was moved.

A unit on the second floor was cordoned off by police and drops of blood were seen at the nearest lift lobby.

A resident who lives on the third floor said it was quiet all morning.

Wanting to be known only as James, 26, a software engineer, he said he woke up at around 10am and only realised something was happening at 1pm.

He said: "I heard nothing and the police tent was just below my window."

Mr Norsuefi Nordin, 30, who lives on the second floor, said police knocked on his door at around noon and asked if he had heard a scream. He said he did not.

Undertakers brought out a body bag at around 2.40pm.

On Dec 24, 2022, Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao reported a 10-year-old boy had found a foetus at Pasir Ris Park under a concrete slab near barbeque pit 21.

The boy, who was camping with his family, alerted his mother who called the police.

A foetus is considered a baby after birth. The term foetus does not indicate if it is alive or not, whereas the term stillborn indicates the baby died before or during delivery.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.