S'porean man, 68, dies in house explosion in Italy, search for wife, 52, ongoing

A 68-year-old Singaporean man passed away after an explosion at his house in central Italy on Dec. 21 night.

The man was identified as Seetoh Kwok Meng, and his Taiwanese wife, Chang Kai En, 52, was reported missing, according to Italian media outlets Il Tirreno and Corriere Fiorentino.

The outlet also reported that the cause of the explosion was "mostly likely a gas leak", as local officials noticed a "strong gas smell" when they arrived at the scene.

Couple were on holidays

According to Italian media La Nazione, the explosion took place at Eglio Sassi, a small hamlet in the central Italian municipality of Molazzana, at around 11:30pm on Dec. 21.

The deceased and his wife bought their house in the town five years ago and arrived there at the beginning of December 2024 to spend their year-end holidays there, said the mayor, Andrea Talani.

On the day of the incident, the couple returned home after spending the evening with friends at a restaurant in a town nearby and parked their car outside their house, reported Corriere Fiorentino.

Just as the couple opened the door, the explosion occurred, creating a loud sound that could be heard over kilometres away.

Damages caused by explosion

Upon being alerted to the incident, several individuals arrived at the scene, including firefighters, volunteers, municipal officials, and police canine units, according to Corriere Fiorentino.

Officers began searching for the couple after putting off the fire, and they found the deceased outside the house.

Searches for his wife were still ongoing, and the authorities believed that she might be trapped under the rubble as her phone was turned off, La Nazione reported Talani as saying.

Besides taking a life, the explosion had caused "very extensive" damages to the couple's house, including causing part of its roof to collapse, according to Italian media.

Esplosione a #Molazzana (LU): prosegue la ricerca della donna segnalata come dispersa. Nella clip la ricognizione dei droni e il lavoro a terra delle squadre dei #vigilidelfuoco #22dicembre 18:20 pic.twitter.com/7lh55zBdWx

— Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) December 22, 2024

Local authorities also reportedly stated that they do not suspect foul play based on preliminary investigations, as the couple left the restaurant alone.

Couple 'well-loved' by town residents

According to Talani, the deceased and his wife were planning to leave the town at the end of January 2025, reported Italian media.

Having spent previous summers and winters there, the couple were "known and well-loved by everyone" in the town.

Despite language barriers, the couple also integrated themselves "well" into the town's lifestyle, shared Talani.

"This was a great tragedy. The impact of this loss is felt deeply across our community," he added.

Top images via Il Tirreno & Vigili del Fuoco