Father and daughter found dead in Sengkang flat after a month-long disappearance

A father and daughter were found dead in their Sengkang HDB flat on Monday, 6 October 2025, after reportedly not being seen for around a month.

The discovery was made at approximately 1:00pm in a unit on the eighth floor of Block 324D, Sengkang East Avenue. According to reports by Shin Min Daily News, police arrived on scene following alerts about a foul odour and fluid leakage from the unit.

Upon entering the flat, authorities found the decomposed remains of a man in a bedroom, reduced to skeletal form. A 47-year-old woman, believed to be his daughter, was found dead near the front door in the living room. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

The police have confirmed that the case is being treated as an unnatural death. A spokesperson from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) stated that investigations are ongoing and the identities of the deceased are pending formal verification.

Neighbours reported that the family had kept largely to themselves and rarely interacted with others in the block. One neighbour, a 51-year-old woman identified only as Ms He, said that the flat had previously been occupied by a family of three.

Since 2017, only the father and daughter were seen living there, suggesting the older female resident may have passed away or moved out.

According to Ms He, the father was a quiet man, always seen wearing shorts, a hat, and a mask when stepping out. She said he typically carried two packets of food, possibly meals, and was not known to engage in conversation, even when greeted.

The last sighting of the man was around July 2025, she noted. His daughter had not been seen since the Chinese New Year period earlier in the year.

Another neighbour, a 69-year-old man named Jalan, said the father and daughter never interacted with others in the block. He believed the daughter may have had mental health issues, but added that the father appeared physically fit.

He recalled last seeing them at the end of August.

Jalan also mentioned that police had asked if there were any signs of arguments or noise from the unit in recent weeks, but neither he nor his wife had heard anything unusual.

The incident came to light after red fluid, described as sticky and foul-smelling, started dripping from the ceiling of the unit below.

A 70-year-old woman living directly beneath the affected flat raised the alarm after noticing a large amount of fluid on her living room ceiling.

Her son, 44-year-old Mr Zeng, a media professional, was contacted early Monday morning at about 6:00am. He arrived at the flat around 9:00am and attempted to clean the fluid using tissue paper.

“The red liquid was sticky and the stench was overwhelming,” he told Shin Min Daily News.

Although he proceeded to work after the initial clean-up, the strong odour persisted in his mind. He later phoned his mother, who said the smell had worsened. Feeling something was amiss, he decided to contact the police.

Mr Zeng added that his mother would be temporarily staying at his residence while he sought help from relevant authorities to clean and disinfect the flat.

As of now, police have not released further information on the cause of death or whether foul play is suspected.