Elderly couple found dead in Punggol HDB flat; police investigating unnatural death

An elderly couple were found dead in a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat in Punggol on the morning of Friday, 27 February. Police have classified the case as an unnatural death, and investigations remain ongoing.

According to local media reports, police were alerted to the incident at Block 408B, Northshore Drive, at approximately 6.25am. Upon arrival, officers discovered a man and a woman lying motionless inside a residential unit.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told local media it received a call for assistance from the same location at approximately 6.30am. An SCDF paramedic subsequently pronounced both individuals dead at the scene.

Police identified the deceased as a 71-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman. Preliminary investigations confirmed they were known to each other. Local media reported that blood was found on the floor of the flat.

"The case has been classified as an unnatural death, and police investigations are ongoing," the police said in a statement carried by local media.

When reporters arrived at the scene shortly after midday, at least four plainclothes investigators in shoe covers were stationed outside the cordoned-off unit.

Additional investigators arrived at around 12.40pm, carrying cameras, brown paper bags and a toolkit. The flat's gate was open, and Chinese New Year decorations were visible around the entrance.

The couple's godson, who declined to be identified, arrived at the unit in the early afternoon and was visibly distressed. Speaking in Mandarin to reporters, he said he had recognised the block number and floor when he encountered news of the incident online.

"I only found out what happened when I saw it on the news. I saw the block number and the floor and thought, it's not possible it's about them, but it is," he said, choking back tears, according to local media.

He said he had last seen the couple before Chinese New Year and that the three of them had regularly met for meals. "We would often meet for meals. They would even wait for me to finish work before having dinner together. I don't know how this happened," he said.

Neighbours spoken to by local media remembered the couple warmly. Mike Liew, a 73-year-old retired executive who lives three doors from the unit, told CNA that the news came as a shock. He said he had neither heard any commotion nor noticed anything unusual on the morning of 27 February.

"They're a very pleasant couple. The wife gave us presents over Chinese New Year, and even gave my helper a red packet," Liew told local media. He added that he had frequently seen the pair at the nearby Northshore Plaza shopping mall.

Liew recalled that the husband had previously kept more than 20 potted plants along the corridor outside the flat, which he tended to regularly. The plants had been cleared before Chinese New Year, and only a single potted plant remained outside the unit at the time of reporting.

Another neighbour on the 11th floor, who identified himself only as Tay, told local media that he had a cordial but limited acquaintance with the couple. "They're very friendly, there were no issues or anything unusual," he said.

Accounts from neighbours differed regarding the couple's family circumstances. The godson told one local outlet the couple had a son and a daughter, while a separate neighbour told another outlet he believed the couple had no children. It was not possible to reconcile these accounts based on available reporting.

Police investigations into the case are continuing.