SCDF removes hoarder's HDB flat door to get to decomposing body
A 73-year-old woman died alone in her HDB flat but the authorities had trouble getting to her body as her home was piled high with trash.
Neighbours at Block 23 Chai Chee Road had detected a stench emanating from the 12th-storey flat and called the police.
"There was a foul smell coming from her flat recently and there were a lot of cockroaches," a resident told Shin Min Daily News.
"Some residents reported it to the Town Council and HDB but when the relevant departments sent people to investigate, no one answered the door."
However, the police could not open the door when they tried to enter the unit at noon on Dec 11.
SCDF personnel had to remove the flat's door and prise the gate open to gain access into the flat and remove the body.
Another neighbour said of the dead woman: "She lived here for many years and rarely went out. Occasionally, relatives, friends and volunteers would visit her but I had not seen her for at least two weeks."
The police confirmed that a 73-year-old woman was found dead in the flat.
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