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Inside the air-conditioned morgue, Mr Teo Sze Siong's charred and bloodied body lay on a metal gurney, tagged No. 42 out of 59 casualties from the tragic nightclub fire in Bangkok soon after a New Year countdown party there.
The brightly-lit room was so packed that several bodies had to be laid down in an open-air area next to the morgue.
The grim task of identifying the 38-year-old air traffic controller's body fell to his two older brothers, who got on a flight to Bangkok just hours after they heard the bad news from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
Rescuers had found Mr Teo with two cellphones and his wallet on him, containing a name card and driver's licence.
His brothers were too upset to speak to the press on the flight to Bangkok. They were barely packed for the trip, with one carrying a backpack, and the other a sling bag.
Arriving at about 11pm, they made their way to the mortuary, accompanied by MFA officials.
White coffins lined the entrance while numerous joss-stick offerings smoked in front of a life-size Buddha statue nearby.
The brothers emerged in less than a minute, looking resigned, but composed. They peered at the noticeboard before leaving.
Their brother's familiar watch was still clasped around his wrist, but they had asked the mortuary staff to do more checks to be absolutely sure it was him.
They said their brother had previously had a fracture in his right arm. Upon checking, mortuary staff found it to be so.
Dr Pornchai Sutwerakune, deputy commander of the Thai police's institute of forensic medicine, said yesterday afternoon that his staff are now hoping to match Mr Teo's dental records before releasing the body to his family.
At 5pm yesterday, the MFA issued a statement to say that his body had been identified.
Mr Teo, who was married with no children, had arrived in Bangkok on Sunday for a holiday with some friends.
Among them were two Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) colleagues - one of whom was injured in the blaze while the other is still missing.
His distraught mother said she did not send Mr Teo - her fourth of five children - to the airport on Sunday.
Mr Teo's family also said that his widow was working in China and was due to fly back to Singapore last night. The couple had been married for over 14 years.
He had worked for CAAS as an air traffic controller since 1995, attaining planning and managerial positions in the last three years. He was also part of a team which oversaw the planning of air traffic control systems.
A statement from the CAAS said Mr Teo was 'well-liked by his colleagues' and was a good mentor to younger air traffic controllers, who respected him.
CAAS director-general and chief executive officer Lim Kim Choon said: 'CAAS has lost a good officer. We share the grief of Mr Teo's family and friends.'
Additional reporting by Jessica Lim
TRAGIC LOSS
'CAAS has lost a good officer. We share the grief of Mr Teo's family and friends.'
CAAS director-general and chief executive officer Lim Kim Choon. Mr Teo Sze Siong had worked for CAAS as an air traffic controller since 1995, attaining planning and managerial positions in the last three years. He was also part of a team which oversaw the planning of air traffic control systems
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