SINGAPORE: It is perhaps the island's most photographed tourist attraction, but on Monday, attention was drawn away from the Merlion – albeit briefly – by a grisly find.

The body of a man, dressed in a brown shirt and trousers, was discovered floating in the Singapore River near Esplanade Drive at about 1.20pm.

Police officers cordoned off the area, with the body discreetly placed behind some construction barricades and away from the view of busloads of tourists.

Many of the visitors, in fact, barely batted an eyelid as they posed for shots with the Merlion and Marina Bay as a backdrop.

Undertakers removed the body at about 6pm.

The police have classified it as a case of unnatural death and are investigating the matter.


- TODAY/so