SINGAPORE (THE NEW PAPER) - A strange liquid seen flowing out of a flat in Beach Road drew curious neighbours, who thought it might be cough syrup.

In an attempt to figure out what it was, a man, who wanted to be known only as Mr Luo, 70, used his finger to touch the dark liquid and sniff it.

The dark liquid turned out to be the blood of his 79-year-old neighbour, who had died in the flat at Block 4 Beach Road.

Mr Luo told Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao that he had returned home from breakfast at about 7am on Sunday (Dec 2) when he saw the liquid seeping out from his neighbour's door on the 13th floor.

He said: "At first, I thought it was cough syrup, but there was a strange smell, so I touched it with my finger to take a sniff."

The smell of the liquid made him worried, and he started knocking on the door.

With no response from his neighbour, Mr Luo sought help from Keeping Hope Alive, a private volunteer group that looks out for the underprivileged and elderly in rental estates.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, members from the group said they were preparing for their usual door-to-door visits in the estate that morning when they were approached by Mr Luo.

Two of the volunteers followed him up to the flat and saw the blood trail.

The post said: "From our volunteers' experience, (they knew) it was likely that the worst had happened and they immediately called the police."

A police spokesman said police were alerted to the case of unnatural death at 7.39am on Sunday.

The man was found lying motionless in the flat and was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.

Police investigations are ongoing.

CLEANER

Mr Luo said the man was a cleaner at a hospital and that he last saw him on Thursday.

Volunteers from Keeping Hope Alive said the man had not been to work for five days.

Mr Luo added that his neighbour had difficulty walking, and usually kept to himself.

Another neighbour, who wanted to be known only as Mr Hong, 74, told Wanbao that the man moved into the estate about a decade ago and was reclusive.

He said he had tried to persuade the man to stop working due to his age.

Mr Hong said: "He worked too hard. I hope he rests in peace."