The two men, who refused to talk to the media, were accompanied by Mr Teo's three colleagues and good friends from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).

Less than five minutes after they had entered the makeshift mortuary area, the brothers emerged, with one holding the other by the arm. Both were in tears.

Mr Teo's body was transferred into a plain white wooden box and loaded onto a van.

The group then headed to Santika Club to perform a ritual calling out for Mr Teo's soul to return home.

The brothers and one of Mr Teo's CAAS colleague knelt before a table in front of the razed nightclub, already laden with bouquets of flowers and fruits.

As a monk chanted and rang a bell, the men, tears streaming down their faces, cried out in Hokkien and Mandarin: 'Ah Siong, come back home. Your brothers are here, your mother is waiting for you... Toa Payoh.. go back to Singapore.'

The ceremony was finished in 10 minutes.

Mr Teo body's was taken to the airport for a Thai Airways flight back to Singapore.

Back at his Toa Payoh executive apartment flat, relatives streamed in and out to pay their respects to Mr Teo's family.

His wife, Madam Ho Mei Shih, who was working in China, has flown home but, like the rest of the family, declined to speak to the media.