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Ambrose Li

Two brothers in their fifties who were found dead in their Hong Kong flat had largely withdrawn from social contact and were financially supported by their parents, the South China Morning Post has learned.
The exact cause of death has yet to be confirmed by postmortem examinations. No suspicious circumstances had been identified at this stage, the force said on Tuesday.
An insider said the bodies were discovered after the men’s elder sister made a police report on Monday.
The sister was alerted earlier that day by a security guard at Tung Yip House, Lei Tung Estate, who noticed an unusual odour coming from the flat. The guard knocked on the door but there was no response.
Police, firefighters and paramedics arrived at the scene and forced open the metal gate and wooden door. They found the decomposing bodies of the two men in the toilet and on the top bunk of a bedroom, respectively.
The men, aged 53 and 55, were pronounced dead at the scene at 2.45pm on Monday. Investigators estimated that one brother had died within the past week, while the other had died several weeks earlier. The pair lived together.
No suspicious injuries were found on either man, and they were identified as Hong Kong residents through their identity cards.
According to police’s preliminary investigation, the younger brother was believed to have died several weeks ago. The elder brother was unable to care for himself, and was suspected to have died in the past week as a result.
The source said valuables, including HK$10,000 (US$1,275) in cash, in the flat were left untouched, and there were no signs of a struggle.
The flat’s letterbox contained letters dated after July 2, while opened letters dated before July 1 were found on the dining table, the insider said, adding that no medical documents were discovered.
There were no security cameras inside the flat, and a review of footage from the building also yielded no useful information, the source added.
The insider said the younger brother had acted as his sibling’s sole carer since 2003. Neither was employed, relying instead on an automatic monthly bank transfer of HK$17,000 from their parents to cover their living expenses.
The sister told police that neither brother had received a formal medical diagnosis.

But she said the elder brother had a severe tendency to socially withdraw, rarely speaking to anyone, including family members, and went to great lengths to avoid social interaction.
The source said the older man left school after Form Four and worked as a technician at a power station for about a year before becoming unemployed and reliant on his younger brother for financial support.
The younger brother had also displayed mild introverted tendencies since childhood, the source said. He left school after Form Four and worked as a goldsmith for several years before leaving the job and becoming financially dependent on his parents.
The insider said the sister last confirmed that the younger brother was in good health at a family gathering on February 18. The elder brother did not attend because of his aversion to social gatherings, and the family had not seen him for more than 10 years, the source added.
Their parents, aged 93 and 83, were unable to visit because of mobility problems. The sister’s phone records showed that she had not received WhatsApp messages from either brother since May, and their last reply to her was sent on February 18.
The sister did not live with the brothers and visited them every other month. If neither answered the door, she would usually push a handwritten letter containing cash through the letterbox and leave.
Utility bills were paid by direct debit from their father’s bank account. Electricity consumption remained at normal levels between July and August 2026. Their parents bought the 400-square-foot flat fully paid in 2003 for the elder brother to live in.
According to the source, neighbours only ever saw one of the brothers leave the premises even though they knew both lived there. No one had noticed any noises that were out of the ordinary before the siblings’ deaths or any unusual odours after.
The neighbours also said the brother who left the flat did not usually greet or respond to others.
Lawmaker Grace Chan Man-yee, who represents the social welfare sector, said there was a need for more proactive efforts to identify those struggling with social isolation, declining health, caregiving strain, financial difficulties and uncertainty over where to seek help, among other issues.
“I believe there is no single cause, and this issue has never been one that a single [government] department can resolve on its own,” she said.
The legislator said the current carer data platform was already linked to the Social Welfare Department, the Hospital Authority and the Housing Authority.
She suggested that the platform should be gradually expanded to include more departments and public bodies, adding that high-risk households should be identified in accordance with privacy regulations.
Chan stressed the importance of making effective use of the high-risk register to identify those in need, as well as ensuring that community support, such as care teams, had sufficient training, reporting channels and access to elderly care technology.
“Case managers play a vital role in strengthening social services and providing greater support. They should be assigned to ensure ongoing follow-up for high-risk households,” she added.
The lawmaker also noted that many residents did not always fully understand how to apply for financial assistance and urged authorities to simplify application procedures to ensure timely support.


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The bodies were discovered at a flat in Lei Tung Estate’s Tung Yip House. Photo:  Handout

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News

Hong Kong

Society

Pair believed to have died several weeks apart, with their bodies discovered after elder sister made police report


Pair believed to have died several weeks apart, with their bodies discovered after elder sister made police report.


Mental health

2 brothers found dead in Hong Kong flat had withdrawn from social contact

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Pair believed to have died several weeks apart, with their bodies discovered after elder sister made police report

Pair believed to have died several weeks apart, with their bodies discovered after elder sister made police report