By Emma Reilly, The Canadian Press

TORONTO - A propane depot employee believed to have died in Sunday's massive explosions that sent thousands fleeing a Toronto neighbourhood was an international student from India who was "the heart and soul" of the people close to him, people who knew him said Thursday.

Parminder Saini, 24, has been missing since the explosion at Sunrise Propane, where he worked part-time, and friends and his family in Bhatinda, India are fearing the worst.

A body was recovered from the blast site and taken to the coroner's office for autopsy, but officials have yet to identify it.

"He was a very nice person... smiling all the time ... making other people laugh," Manpreet Sidhu wrote in an email, adding she was too upset to speak on the phone. "(He was) very down to earth. He loved his family and he was a very dedicated guy."

Sidhu met Saini at Sheridan College in Brampton, Ont., just west of Toronto, where they both went to school. Sidhu said they came from the same city in India and had become good friends since Saini arrived in Canada in December 2007.

Saini had completed his undergraduate degree in India and came to Canada to further his studies, she said.

Several hours after Sunday's explosion, a spokesman for Surnise said company officials "prayed" Saini would be found unharmed.

On Monday, a body was found in the ruins.

Veteran firefighter Bob Leek, whose funeral was to be held Friday, died at the scene after being found without vital signs. The coroner's office said Thursday that Leek's autopsy was complete but the cause of death wasn't being released at the request of his family.

Although Saini didn't like Canada at first he began to enjoy living in Brampton and "was looking forward to settling his life here," said Sidhu, who added she began to worry about her friend, nicknamed Rocky, when he didn't show up for a final exam Monday.

Janine Gliener, acting director of marketing and communication, confirmed Saini was enrolled at Sheridan College as an international student.

Saini began the quality assurance manufacturing and management post-graduate certificate program in January, Gliener said.

Saini's job at Sunrise was not affiliated with Sheridan, Gliener said.

"It would have been something that we were not involved with him obtaining," she said.

Amar Singh Bullar, the chief editor of Hamdard Weekly, a Punjabi newspaper in Mississauga, Ont., contacted Saini's family in Bhatinda and said Saini had spoken with his older brother, Bikramjit, only an hour before the blast.

"They were laughing about Parminder's hair," Bullar said. "Because before he had long hair and he had just cut it."

Saini's parents and brother don't have passports, Bullar said, so they are unable to come to Toronto to assist with the investigation.

Bullar also said that Saini, who entered the country with a 15-month student visa, had never been to the doctor or dentist in Canada. As a result, Saini's family are worried that authorities won't be able to identify the body found at the blast site.

A Facebook profile in Saini's name says he was the creator of an online group for Punjabi students.