A 59-year-old man named Thiyagarajan Karunakaran died following a fight with his neighbour at Block 55 Lengkok Bahru on July 20, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. Police received calls around 4:45 p.m. and found the victim lying motionless at the 16th floor lift lobby [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. He was taken to National University Hospital but later died from his injuries [1, 2, 4, 5].
The suspect, 59-year-old Ng Swee Seng, was arrested at the scene that day and formally charged with murder on July 22 [4, 5, 6]. Appearing in court via video link, Ng stated, "If I hear sounds, I will scold people... I reacted because I heard (a) voice" [7]. If convicted, he could face the death penalty [4, 5, 6]. The court adjourned the case to August 12 for further proceedings [4, 6].
Preliminary police investigations revealed that the two men knew each other and had a longstanding feud that often involved noisy, early morning arguments starting around 7:30 a.m. [1, 2, 5]. Neighbours reported hearing frequent shouting and Hokkien vulgarities between them. One resident said, "They would be topless and start shouting Hokkien vulgarities at each other from about 7.30am" [1]. Another neighbour who had never spoken to the men remarked, "No one thought it would escalate to this" [1].
Police officers and media visiting the scene on July 21 found blood stains and a bloodied footprint along the 16th-floor corridor [1, 2, 5, 6, 8]. A knife was reportedly thrown from the 16th floor, landing outside a nearby coffeeshop, though this detail has medium confidence [1, 2, 8].
The incident comes amid a slight rise in knife-related violent incidents in Singapore, with 137 cases reported in 2025, up from 131 in 2024 [1, 2, 8]. Similar fatal knife attacks occurred recently at Yishun Central and Choa Chu Kang [1, 2, 8].
Ng's next court appearance is scheduled for August 12, where the prosecution will continue to present its case [4, 6].
