Man, 70, found unconscious in Henderson Road flat with his wife's body dies in hospital

Ian Cheng
The Straits Times
Jul 31, 2023

A 70-year-old man who was found unconscious on Saturday in a Housing Board flat at Block 93 Henderson Road died a day later.

The man was discovered in a ninth-floor unit on Saturday morning, along with the body of his 67-year-old wife.

He was taken to Singapore General Hospital, where he subsequently died, said the police in response to queries from The Straits Times on Monday.

On Saturday, the police said the wife’s death was classified as a case of unnatural death, but added that they did not suspect foul play.

Investigations are ongoing.

On Sunday night, a reporter from Chinese-language newspaper Shin Min Daily News saw the couple’s family members cleaning up their flat and the corridor.

A neighbour of the couple said the two had a close relationship with their children and grandchildren, who would visit on weekends, with the woman cooking for them on such occasions.

Another neighbour earlier told Shin Min that he had noticed an odd smell emanating from the flat for at least a week before he called the police on Saturday morning.

He had also knocked on the couple’s door – which opened after he pushed on it lightly – and he saw that the floor of the flat was covered with maggots.

According to the neighbour, the couple would typically keep their front door open, but the door had been shut in the last few days.

Other neighbours that Shin Min spoke to said the couple relied on wheelchairs to get around. They also said the couple would usually leave their flat every morning to eat, but they had not been seen in days.