
30/09/2025
Man sweeps up rubbish, then flings it over ledge from 15th floor of Serangoon North block
A viral video showing a man sweeping rubbish at his doorstep and tossing it over a corridor ledge at Block 157 Serangoon North Avenue 1 has sparked outrage online and left residents uneasy.
TikTok user sergiiosl1877 posted a five-minute clip of the incident, purportedly filmed on the 15th floor.
The CCTV footage of a HDB corridor shows a man sweeping up a pile of trash outside his unit before emptying the contents in the dustpan over the corridor ledge multiple times.
At one point, he crouches down to clear the drain, picking up pieces of rubbish by hand before tossing them over as well.
He later sets aside two bottles from the pile and carries them away before returning to his flat and keeping the broom and dustpan.
The video has drawn more than 320,000 views and 555 comments at press time.
Neighbours say it's been happening for weeks
When The New Paper visited the block, residents said the incidents had persisted for weeks.
"I called the police, NEA, and town council, but it's no use," said Mr Seah, 48, who posted the video. "When the authorities came, he didn't open the door."
He claimed the man moved in a year ago and that instances of high-rise littering began only recently, in the past few weeks.
Mr Seah, a food delivery rider who has lived there for seven years, also shared CCTV footage allegedly showing the man urinating outside his flat, saying it often happened when he was drunk.
After filing complaints but seeing no resolution, he installed a CCTV camera to document what was happening and later uploaded the footage online.
Another resident on the 14th floor reported similar incidents, saying plastic bags and rubbish were thrown down from above.
Patty Nusa, 34, a housewife, said rubbish had blown onto her doorstep once, and she recalled hearing shouting and sounds of glass bottles coming from the unit above.
Mr Nathan, a 79-year-old retiree who lives on the same floor as the man, said he had little interaction with the man and did not witness any incidents himself, though he noted that police had visited the unit frequently.
Residents concerned about safety
All the residents TNP spoke to said they were too afraid confront the man directly.
Ms Nusa, who has two young children aged three and 10 months, said her husband wanted to confront him, but she advised against it. "I think it's dangerous, especially when I'm home alone with my children," she said.
Mr Seah said he often told his five-year-old son to avoid walking near the neighbour's flat.
When approached by TNP, the man denied throwing rubbish or urinating outside, claiming someone else was responsible.
There was, however, a strong odour of urine near the unit. Inside, a sofa and refrigerator were visible in the living room, along with brown stains on the walls and a half-empty bottle of alcohol at his feet. The man did not respond when asked for his name.
Investigations are ongoing: AHTC
In response to TNP's queries, the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council said that it has referred the case to the National Environment Agency (NEA) for investigation.
"In this instance, NEA conducted a joint inspection with the Town Council, and investigations are currently ongoing," an AHTC spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also stated that the affected areas have been cleaned.
The police confirmed they received a call for assistance on Sept 27 at about 4.30pm and are "looking into the matter".
Netizens divided over CCTV footage
Many viewers condemned the man's actions, calling them "dangerous" and "a crime".
One user asked: "Did he really just throw everything down from level 15?"
Another commented: "That's high rise littering! You can directly report."
Others questioned why the pile of rubbish was left outside the unit in the first place. "Those rubbish supposed to be cleaned by the block cleaners," one user noted.
"I think he is probably fed up of cleaning up all the mess left by the residents. he should take photos and report instead of throwing the rubbish," speculated another.
Some commenters brought up cultural differences that might explain the man's behaviour, suggesting that such actions may seem commonplace in other countries.
"I watched a video of a train in India where people throw everything out of the windows. I wonder if this is a cultural practice or simply a matter of not caring," one said.
Another user suggested: "He is probably a tenant and new to Singapore! Maybe he is not allowed to use some parts of the flat where the rubbish chute is - as a tenant."
TNP has reached out to NEA for comment.