68-year-old Singaporean Seetoh Kwok Meng dies after explosion in Italy, wife’s body missing
A 68-year-old Singaporean man killed by a suspected gas explosion in Italy has been revealed as Mr Seetoh Kwok Meng.
He is the brother of well-known local food critic KF Seetoh.
Source: Kf Seetoh on Facebook
Italian house rocked by explosion was owned by Singaporean & his wife
Mr Seetoh Kwok Meng was killed on Sunday (22 Dec) when his house in Molazzana, in the Tuscany region of Italy, was gutted by an explosion.
Italian news outlet Il Tirreno reported that the two-storey home was owned by the deceased and his 52-year-old Taiwanese wife Chang Kai En, having purchased it before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The couple was spending the Christmas holidays there and had just returned from dinner when the blast occurred.
The sound of the explosion was reportedly heard as far as 13km away.
It was caused by a suspected gas leak.
Singaporean man’s body found, wife still missing
Afterwards, the fire brigade, mountain rescue and a branch of the police, with the support of helicopters, immediately commenced search-and-rescue operations.
The first rescuers at the scene detected a strong smell of gas. Calls to the couple were not answered and when Mr Seetoh’s car was spotted outside the house, they realised that the couple were at home.
While the flames were put out by the firefighters, rescuers dug through the wreckage in search of the couple.
Source: @vigilidelfuoco on X
Sadly, Mr Seetoh’s lifeless body was found under the rubble on Sunday morning.
Ms Chang’s body has yet to be found.
KF Seetoh mourns brother
In a Facebook post on Monday (23 Dec) night, Mr KF Seetoh confirmed that the deceased was his brother.
Mr Seetoh Kwok Meng was the “most jovial” among his siblings and liked to crack jokes to liven up a situation, his brother said.
He also loved cooking, so his brother was glad he had a nice Christmas dinner before the tragedy.
Source: Kf Seetoh on Facebook
Singaporean died instantly as house in Italy ‘came down like a deck of cards upon explosion’
Mr Seetoh Kwok Meng and Ms Chang, who was his second wife, enjoyed their “nice and peaceful” retirement house and life in Tuscany, with Ms Chang growing olives in their garden.
Source: Kf Seetoh on Facebook
They had bought the century-old stone house while on holiday there a few years ago, said Mr KF Seetoh, as they “loved it at first sight”.
He regretted not visiting them while he could, adding that the house “came down like a deck of cards upon explosion”.
Death was thus instantaneous for the couple, he said.
Family ‘still shocked’, says KF Seetoh
Mr KF Seetoh said his family was grateful to receive help from Singapore’s embassy in Italy during “these tough moments”.
His brother planned to return to Singapore next month to celebrate Chinese New Year.
The family is “still shocked” that he’s now no longer around, he added, also saying:
Rest in peace Ah Meng and Kai En.
Also read: Tragedy in Taiwan: S’porean man & family get into rental car accident, his wife dies from injuries
Tragedy in Taiwan: S’porean man & family get into rental car accident, his wife dies from injuries
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Featured image adapted from Kf Seetoh on Facebook and @vigilidelfuoco on X.
