Skeleton of man found below overhead bridge along Dunearn Road

By Rita Zahara, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 17 October 2006 1750 hrs

A skeleton, believed to be that of a man in his 60s or 70s, has been found below an overhead bridge along Dunearn Road.

Police say it was discovered by contractors working in the area at about 11am on Tuesday.

The badly decomposed body has been reduced to bones.

38-year-old Dennis Heng was working with six other workers when they found the skeleton deep inside the thick bushes, some 80 metres from the Anglo-Chinese School, Barker Road.

Dennis said they were clearing the creepers when they smelt something smelly and looked closer.

“It seems like a head. It is very messy inside, so we can’t see very clear…..we see the shirt and the pants, then I can confirm that it is a body,” he said.

According to NParks, the last major pruning of the area was done by its service provider, Swee Bee Contractor, three months ago.

The contractors discovered the skeleton lying face up and clad in a green short-sleeved shirt and a pair of dark brown trousers.

A pathologist was at the scene to examine the remains and establish the likely cause of death.

Channel NewsAsia understands no personal belongings of the man were found at the scene.

Forensic experts say it takes about two to four weeks for a body to decompose to such a state.

The skeleton has been moved to the mortuary at Singapore General Hospital for forensic tests and collection of DNA samples.

These may take some weeks or even months.

Police have classified the case as unnatural death and are investigating. – CNA/ir