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SINGAPORE: An explosion at a villa in Italy on Saturday (Dec 21) night left a Singaporean man dead and his Taiwanese partner missing, local media reported. 

The explosion happened at a house in Molazzana, outside a small town in Garfagnana, and caused the villa to collapse, according to news outlet Corriere Fiorentino. 

It was likely caused by a gas leak in the house, it said.

The body of the Singaporean, who local media named as Mr Seetoh Kwok Meng, was discovered outside the house on Sunday morning. The woman, identified as Chang Kai En by local media, is still missing.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr Seetoh Kwok Meng spent much of his career in the automotive industry. He was the Chief Operating Officer at Taiwan MotorImage since 2013 and was also with Tan Chong Motor Group since 1981.

In response to CNA's queries, a spokesperson for Tan Chong International said Mr Seetoh Kwok Meng retired from the company in July 2016 after 35 years.

It added that it is deeply saddened about his death and extended its condolences to his family and loved ones.

Late Monday night, Singapore food critic KF Seetoh said that Mr Seetoh Kwok Meng was his brother. 

"He was the most jovial among our siblings. He hates boring moments and will crack a joke, even a funny white lie just to ease a situation," Mr KF Seetoh wrote on Facebook.

"His life was not all a bed of roses. But with his second wife, Kai En, he saw a nice and peaceful retirement house and life in Tuscany.

"She loved her garden and had neighbours who would help with their green fingers each time they travelled especially back home to Singapore where he'll (always) bug me to take him makan (to eat)."

He said his brother loved the villa and that he had hoped to visit him in Italy.

"That century-old stone house came down like a deck of cards upon explosion and death was instantaneous for both of them," wrote Mr KF Seetoh.

He said his whole family is still shocked by his brother's death, and that Mr Seetoh Kwok Meng had planned to return to Singapore next month for Chinese New Year.

"Getting some help from our embassy there in these tough moments, and we are grateful for it," he added.

KNOWN AND LIKED BY EVERYONE 

The couple had planned to spend the Christmas holidays in Molazzana and had just returned home from dinner when the explosion happened, reported news outlet Il Tirreno. 

Authorities believe that the woman was the first to enter the house while Mr Seetoh Kwok Meng lingered outside. 

Initial investigations found it likely the explosion was caused by a pocket of gas accumulated inside. 

The villa’s liquefied petroleum gas tank was outside the house and did not catch fire. The house’s boiler was also found outside and was intact.

“As soon as we arrived we smelled a strong smell of gas,” said Andrea Tognocchi, a rescuer, as quoted by Il Tirreno.

"The explosion caused the perimeter walls to be cut and the floors to collapse," said an official from the fire department. 

Italian news site La Nazione reported that when the firefighters arrived at the scene, they found the building had completely collapsed, with some parts still burning. 

Pieces of clothing and furniture were scattered everywhere, with some clothes hanging from the branches of nearby trees. 

The explosion triggered a large emergency response with dozens of firefighters, volunteers and members of the the municipal civil protection rushing to the scene, reported Corriere Fiorentino.

Photos of the site’s aftermath showed the villa’s roof lying atop piles of rubble with emergency responders working around the wreckage. 

The mayor of Molazzana, Andrea Talani, was also at the site. According to him, the couple had fallen in love with Garfagnana and were well-integrated with the community despite the language barriers. 

They were known and well-liked by everyone, he said, as quoted by Corriere Fiorentino.