The remains of Seetoh Kwok Meng, 68, brother of Makansutra food guide founder KF Seetoh, will be repatriated to Singapore more than three months after a fatal gas explosion in Italy claimed his life in December 2024.
KF Seetoh announced in a Facebook post on 27 March 2025 that he had reached Lucca, Italy, to retrieve his brother’s remains.
“Now allowed to retrieve my brother’s remains for home, after three months… That gas explosion that killed him and his wife was so unexpected and unfortunate, but the heavens above always work mysteriously,” Seetoh wrote.
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Seetoh Kwok Meng and his 52-year-old Taiwanese wife, Chang Kai En, died when their holiday home in Molazzana, a municipality in Lucca in the Tuscany region, was destroyed by a suspected gas explosion on 21 December 2024.
The Tragic Incident
The couple had just returned to their villa after dinner when the explosion occurred around 11:45pm local time.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud bang before the house caught fire and eventually collapsed.
Rescue workers found Seetoh’s body under the rubble on 22 December, while his wife’s remains were only discovered four days later on 26 December by a police sniffer dog named Bayla from Bologna’s police canine rescue unit.
Local officials noticed a “strong gas smell” when they arrived at the scene, suggesting the explosion was “most likely a gas leak”, according to Italian media outlet Il Tirreno.
Funeral Arrangements
A funeral service for Seetoh Kwok Meng will be held in Italy before his remains are transported to Singapore.
A memorial service is scheduled to take place in Singapore from 7 to 8 April 2025.
It remains unclear whether the remains of Chang Kai En will also be allowed to be repatriated, as this detail was not disclosed in Seetoh’s Facebook post.
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The Couple’s Life in Italy
According to KF Seetoh, his brother and sister-in-law had spent the past six years in their Molazzana villa, which served as their retirement home.
Seetoh had earlier mentioned that the couple purchased the house from their tour guide while vacationing in the area.
Chang reportedly “loved her garden” and had neighbours who helped care for it whenever the couple travelled back to Singapore.
Official Assistance
In his Facebook post, KF Seetoh expressed gratitude to Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for “their attention and updating us on the situation and the nuances in the process”.
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The Singaporean diplomatic mission in Italy has been providing assistance to the Seetoh family since the incident occurred.
“Investigations on the cause is still ongoing but we need some closure for now,” Seetoh stated in his recent update.
Background of the Deceased
According to his LinkedIn profile, Seetoh Kwok Meng had spent much of his career in the automotive industry.
He served as the Chief Operating Officer at Taiwan MotorImage since 2013 and has been with Tan Chong Motor Group since 1981.
KF Seetoh had previously described his brother as the “most jovial” among his siblings in his Facebook post.
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