KNOWN AND WELL-LIKED BY EVERYONE
The couple had planned to spend the Christmas holidays in Molazzana and had just returned home from dinner when the explosion occurred, reported news outlet Il Tirreno.
Authorities believe that Ms Chang entered the house first while Mr Seetoh Kwok Meng lingered outside.
Initial investigations found it likely that the explosion was caused by a pocket of gas accumulated inside the house.
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,” Il Tirreno quoted rescuer Andrea Tognocchi as saying.
“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 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 local civil defence agency rushing to the scene, reported Corriere Fiorentino.
Photos of the explosion’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.
