Woman dies in Yishun knife attack as man arrested for murder

A woman has died following a violent attack over a noise dispute between neighbours in Yishun Central on the morning of Sept 24.

She and her husband were among three people taken to hospital. The couple had serious injuries.

The third person taken to hospital was the alleged attacker, who has been arrested for murder.

A police spokesman said preliminary investigations found the fight arose from a noise dispute.

The alleged assailant, a 67-year-old man, allegedly used a knife to injure the couple.

The woman, a 31-year-old Vietnamese, was taken unconscious to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH), where she died.

Her husband, 33, and the alleged assailant were conscious when taken to KTPH.

A spokesman for the Singapore Civil Defence Force said it received a call for help at Block 323 Yishun Central at about 7.25am on Sept 24.

When ST arrived at Block 323 at around 8.50am, there were drops of blood on the ground floor, near the lift.

On the sixth floor, there were bloodstains at the lift lobby, and inside the lifts.

A knife, a watch, a mobile phone, a set of car keys and a slipper lay on the bloodstained floor.

The entire sixth level was cordoned off, with at least eight police officers present.

Drenched in blood

A resident who wanted to be known only as Mr Koh, 69, said there was a dispute between a man and a couple who were neighbours.

He said: "At around 7am, I heard screams and a commotion, so I went to level six to see what happened. I saw a woman lying unconscious near the lift. She had wounds all over her body and was completely drenched in blood."

Mr Koh, a business owner, added: "Her husband was trying to fight off a man who was holding a knife. The husband was yelling 'Anyone knows CPR? Please help my wife!' Then I saw the husband get stabbed in his chest area."

He added as the husband scuffled with the alleged assailant near the lift, one of the neighbours quickly pulled the couple's young sons into their flat and closed the door.

He said: "The husband tried to fight the man off. But the man grabbed the husband from the back and stabbed him in the chest area. Then another resident tried to split them up by taking the knife from the man and kicking it away.

"The husband was still conscious when the police came, but his wife's eyes were closed."

A resident who lives at Block 322 and who did not want to be identified said a woman had rushed to his block to take the defibrillator placed there.

He said: "She said someone needed help."

Photos of the incident showed several people tending to a woman in the corridor while a man covered in blood sat on the ground nearby.

Another photo showed a police officer speaking to a bald man sitting farther away with blood smeared over his legs.

The children are believed to be about two and five years old.

A resident on the ninth floor of Block 323 who wanted to be known only as Mr Ismail, 65, said: "The dispute between the couple and the man had been going on for years now. The couple usually keep to themselves, but I think the man was not happy with their children playing and making noise."

Mr Ismail, who is retired and moved to Yishun two years ago, added: "I often see the mother taking her children to childcare in the morning. This estate is usually quite peaceful, so it's a shock to us that something like this happened."

A resident on the third floor, Mr Othman Omar, 64, said the alleged assailant liked to talk about his plants.

He said: "I know the man as a person who cared for neighbours. He sent me dates during Ramadan and gave my family essential oils after his visit to Saudi Arabia."

Residents said the couple have lived in the estate for around two years, while the alleged attacker has been there for longer.

Nee Soon GRC MP Jackson Lam, who oversees the area, said on Facebook the grassroots will assist residents who may be affected by the incident.

He said: "I am deeply saddened by the tragic and shocking incident that took place earlier today.

"The matter is currently under police investigation, and I am closely monitoring developments as we await further updates from the authorities."

Past deadly neighbour disputes

New laws were introduced in 2024 to tackle disputes between neighbours.

The Community Disputes Resolution Act was amended for a new Community Relations Unit to be established.

Officers will be given investigatory and enforcement powers to intervene in disputes between neighbours. And the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals will get enhanced powers to resolve cases more quickly and effectively.

Most disputes between neighbours are noise-related, with government agencies receiving an average of around 2,500 complaints monthly.

Some have turned deadly.

In July, a dispute between neighbours in Yishun left one dead and one injured.

The man who died was found lying motionless at the foot of the block after allegedly using a knife to attack his neighbour.

In December 2024, a feud between two elderly neighbours in King George's Avenue left one man dead.

The dispute was allegedly over one of them bumping into the other on the ground floor and not apologising.

In January 2024, a man allegedly murdered his female neighbour in Bukit Batok. Neighbours said both argued over noise for a few years.

In March, a man allegedly murdered his younger brother in a flat in Boon Lay.

In June, a man allegedly murdered a woman, believed to be his mother, in Sengkang.

On Sept 18, the police said they were investigating a man for allegedly murdering a woman in Joo Chiat.

Physical crime has been on the rise, with 75 knife-related incidents reported in the first half of 2025.

This is compared with 59 cases for the same period in 2024 and 131 cases for the whole of that year.