Body spotted by boys on bikes

SINGAPORE - He had been missing for two days.

On Wednesday night, his naked body was found lying on the outskirts of a forested area in Punggol, partially hidden by the unkempt grass.

The body of the 76-year-old man was spotted by two boys who had been cycling by the spot, as well as by another man, reported Chinese evening daily Shin Min Daily News.

The man who found the body told Shin Min that his sister had told him about the body lying in the grass and he had cycled there to take a closer look.

"I found the body there, completely naked and motionless," he was quoted as saying. "I immediately called the police."

He declined to be named.

His sister, who also did not want to be named, said she had seen the body at about 3pm on Wednesday, when she was on a passing bus on her way home.

"I couldn't be sure at that time if it was a man or not. I was too scared to go and see properly," she said.

"So I waited for my brother to come back and told him to check it out."

Searching

Police officers carrying torchlights were seen walking into the forested area for more than an hour.

Police dogs were also spotted at the scene, which is about 200m from the Punggol-Serangoon Reservoir.

Scores of officers were seen searching around the area for more than six hours.

About 15 family members of the dead man were at the scene to identify him.

Some of them were seen crying.

The man's family, who collected his body at the mortuary on Thursday morning, said the elderly man did not have any money or valuables on him.

The dead man is said to have lived in a nearby flat with four other family members.

Relatives said he was a bachelor and that he had worked as a cleaner before retiring.

He had moved to Punggol to live with his brother's family six months ago, because it was inconvenient for him to live alone at his age.

Police have classified the case as an unnatural death and are investigating.

Get The New Paper for more stories.