The man was trying to make a quick escape from the three-room flat in Marsiling Lane, but instead landed 15m below with a thud.

'Only a stupid person will enter my house. There's nothing to steal,' said Madam Irene Tan.

The 50-year-old chanced upon the burglar, who was described as a man covered in tattoos, at around 10am after returning from her morning stroll.

Madam Tan said he panicked, ran to her master bedroom and then took a shortcut to the first floor - from five floors up.

A neighbour from two floors below, Mr Abdul Rahman, said he heard the commotion.

'I heard a woman screaming: 'Stop, don't jump'. After that, I heard something drop, boom!' That is when he peered out of his window.

'I saw two guys carry a man and put him inside a car before driving off.'

Only a patch of blood was left at the scene.

The police confirmed last night that the man, who was in his 40s, died at about 11.45am after being taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Madam Tan said she had left a back window open and thinks the man scaled her block like 'Spiderman' to break in.

Mr Abdul Rahman, 49, suspects the men may be linked to the recent cases of theft.

The owner of the vehicle which took away the injured man is currently assisting the police in the investigations.