A 66-year-old woman and her 27-year-old son were found dead in their flat on Monday, in what appeared to be a double suicide.

Madam Lee Gek Lan and Mr Toh Boon Siong were found hanged in a bedroom in their flat in Block 727, Tampines Street 71.

The police received a call at 4.21pm that day and paramedics who arrived at the scene pronounced them dead.

The Straits Times understands that no foul play is suspected.

The decomposing bodies were found in a locked bedroom by Madam Lee's son-in-law, who had returned home after a three-day hospital stay for an operation, according to Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao.

Mr Toh is understood to have been suffering from severe depression, Lianhe Wanbao quoted a close friend of the victims as saying. However, it is not clear if his condition was linked to their deaths.

Neighbours told The Straits Times yesterday that the family moved into the five-room flat about two years ago, but that they did not know who else lives in the unit.

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A neighbour who lives on the same floor, and who wanted to be known only as Madam Ho, said the family members often kept to themselves. "Their door is always closed and we rarely see them," said Madam Ho, who has lived there for more than 20 years.

Another neighbour, a 59-year-old packer who identified herself as Madam Gina, said she often walks past the unit but had never seen Madam Lee or her son before.

"The family is very quiet. We don't know much about them," she said, adding that the police were at the block until past 9pm on Monday.