A 29-year-old mother and her daughter, aged five, were found dead at the foot of a block in Toh Guan estate in Jurong East on Wednesday, February 6. Since the cause of death is still unknown, the police have classified it as an unnatural death case.
The woman, Siivashinni Johanan, used to work as a private nurse. The reports said that the mother and her daughter, Chiryllanyaa Ganesan, had multiple injuries as investigators believe that they had fallen from a height at Block 288B Jurong East Street 21.
As per the police, they were alerted to this case at around 9.51 pm on Wednesday. After the paramedics performed the primary check-up, they pronounced both of them dead.
A resident of the woman, who wanted to be known as Wong told The New Paper that he and her son called the police after they found the motionless bodies of the mother and daughter.
While describing the tragic scene, the cleaner, Wang, who lives on the 13th storey of the block said on that day some of their relatives visited him to celebrate Chinese New Year. Later, when his son went down to get his car, he saw the bodies of the duo on the ground.
Wang also stated that even though his son tried to help them, soon he realised that he could not do anything, so it will be better to call the police.
Another neighbour, 53-year-old Grace, who lives on the second storey said that she first heard a loud thud "followed by an even louder sound a few seconds later at around 9.30pm. I thought they might have been firecrackers because it was the second day of Chinese New Year."
As per Grace, she saw a man, who is believed to be the brother of Siivashinni, in distress after he identified the dead bodies at around midnight.
Siivashinni's cousin, Steven Chan, 43, said that on the day of the incident the woman was in her brother's flat at around 9 pm. He also added that "Her daughter wanted to accompany her and they left together," as the woman wanted to go to the nearby shops.
Steven said that after Siivashinni's parents died, she went to depression and the family asked her "to go to Switzerland for three months to clear her mind because her sister works there as a teacher." In addition, he also mentioned that the deceased woman had returned from Switzerland on Sunday, February 3.
A consultant psychologist at Thomson Medical Centre, Frances Yeo said that it is important for a family and friends to talk to those with depression about the issue.
"Family and friends can also call the helplines, or take them to the Institute of Mental Health or any hospital if they show signs of wanting to hurt themselves," she added.
