Updated Tuesday 4.40pm

The family of the Romanian man killed in a freak accident by a falling tree on Saturday have fulfilled their wish to bury him in his home country after thousands of euros were raised following an appeal.

Dan Udrea died when his car was struck by a tree that gave way to the strong winds that hit the island over the weekend.

He was killed on the spot, while his wife Irina was rushed to hospital with very serious head injuries. Their two young sons, three-year-old Edy and six-month-old Oli, were with their grandmother at the time of the incident.

Hospital sources on Tuesday said that Ms Udrea was expected to make a full recovery after suffering trauma to her skull.

Doctors and staff across the hospital raised around €5,000, while members of the public in Malta and Romania also donated more than €7,000 to the victim's brother-in-law, Sergiy Zarubin.

Doctors and staff across the hospital raised around €5,000, while members of the public in Malta and Romania also donated more than €7,000

Mr Zarubin had made an appeal for funding on website Gofundme.com, calling on the public to fund the repatriation of the victim's body to Romania, as well as to cover funeral expenses and medical expenses for Irina in Malta.

A spokesman for Air Malta said the airline would fly Mr Udrea's body back to Romania free of charge.

Mr Zarubin said his brother-in-law and sister had moved to Malta seven years ago “in search of a better life” and had found jobs that they both loved.

“They were planning on buying an apartment and settling in for good. They had found the place they were happy in.

The Romanian was killed in a freak accident.

“It has to be a dream, it is impossible, I cannot believe it… when you read the text message at six in the morning: ‘Dan died.’ It is hard to imagine that someone could be taken from this world so suddenly.”

“Dan and his wife were going to work on the weekend. He told his mother that it would not take that long and that she should not worry. Despite the raging storm outside, he and Irina made that trip countless times.

Moreover, their two sons, Edy and Oliver, were waiting for them at home. There was no way he would not return to them in a few hours,” Mr Zarubin added. “All their dreams and hopes were crushed,” he said.