The bodies of a bedridden 82-year-old Hong Kong woman and her son have been found in their flat, with investigators believing he died leaving no one to take care of her, the Post has learned.
Police received a call from the pair’s landlord at around 5.30pm on Wednesday after he went to the flat in Cheung On Mansion in Kwun Tong.
The owner went to the flat to collect rent after being unable to contact them since Friday evening. Authorities were called when he discovered a foul smell coming from the flat with the son’s body blocking the door, according to a police source.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
Officers found the woman and her son, 60, lying on the floor. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
Initial investigations showed the pair did not exhibit any signs of injuries, while the home was in a state of disarray.
The case and cause of death remain under investigation. The source said the bedridden mother had suffered from illnesses including high blood pressure and diabetes for many years and needed daily care from her son.
The insider said investigators believed the son died in an accident. No suicide note was found, and there were no signs of obvious injuries on the bodies, the source said.
The man was suspected to have died after not being rescued in time. It was unclear whether he collapsed at home or suffered from medical problems.
Investigators have yet to rule out any suspicious circumstances.
Last month, an elderly couple were found dead in their home at Tak Tin Estate in Lam Tin. Authorities suspect the pair took their own lives because of chronic illness. A tray of burned charcoal and a suicide note were found in the flat.
In June last year, firefighters were forced to break into a flat in Happy Valley after a 71-year-old man died in the bathroom, leaving his bedridden 75-year-old cancer patient sister stranded for almost a week.
She was discovered weak and dehydrated, with insiders saying she would have been deprived of food and fluids while unattended.
More from South China Morning Post:
- Calls to charity for elderly hit 1,620 a day as Hong Kong logs record heat high on Monday
- 88% of ethnic minority elderly, carers have never used Hong Kong support services
- Hong Kong’s elderly ‘No 1 priority’ as welfare chief reveals new measures being studied amid string of tragedies
- Proportion of elderly Hongkongers struggling with moderate or severe loneliness almost doubles since 2018, study finds
For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2024.