72-year-old man found dead in Whampoa flat after neighbours noticed brown liquid dripping from ceiling

The body of a 72-year-old man was found in a HDB flat in Whampoa on Saturday (May 16).

Brown "water droplets" had seeped through the ceiling of the unit below, and the neighbours living downstairs initially suspected that a water pipe had burst, reported Shin Min Daily News.

The strange liquid — coupled with a stench which grew stronger over the past three days — eventually prompted them to call the police, leading to the grim discovery at Block 76 Lorong Limau.

The tenant living in the flat below told Shin Min she had noticed the foul smell on Wednesday and believed it was from a garbage truck.

But the odour lingered and intensified the next few days, forcing her to close her windows on Friday night when it was especially bad.

She said her roommates living in the master bedroom had also found brown liquid dripping from the ceiling.

"The water droplets smelled strange and kept flowing from the ceiling and dripping onto the floor, which was bothersome," she added.

The tenants told the landlord about their suspicions of a burst water pipe and were then assured that the authorities would inspect the flat.

But the check reportedly found no problems with the plumbing.

Speaking to Shin Min, residents living on the same floor as the deceased said they rarely interacted with him.

The next-door neighbour surnamed Hong described the man as quiet and added that he would typically water his plants along the corridor in the mornings.

"He rarely left his house, and it's not strange to not see him for two or three days," said Hong.

The police said they was alerted to a case of unnatural death at the HDB block.

A 72-year-old man was found lying motionless and pronounced dead. Foul play is not suspected, and investigations are ongoing.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com