Preparations for the funeral of Bee Gee Maurice Gibb in the US have begun, but the Florida hospital where he died has still not answered his brothers' questions about his treatment.

Gibb died on Sunday at the age of 53 when his condition deteriorated following a heart attack.

Speaking exclusively to the BBC, Barry and Robin Gibb said they were perplexed as to how their brother had been admitted with a stomach blockage - and then apparently died from another illness.

It's like a nightmare that you wake up to every day Robin Gibb

In an emotional state soon after Maurice's death, the brothers said they were "devastated" and "completely pole-axed" by their loss and paid tribute to the "most sweetest, generous" man.

Barry Gibb confirmed he had not been present at the Mount Sinai Medical Centre for many of the key moments of his brother's treatment and said he had been told much of what he knew second-hand.

Fans were shocked at the singer's death

But he said: "We will pursue every factor, every element, every second of the timeline, of the final hours of Maurice's life.

"We will pursue that relentlessly. That will be our quest from now on."

Rapid action

The hospital said it could not comment because of the protocol of patient privacy.

Barry Gibb said he had been told Maurice had been admitted to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon after feeling unwell, been kept in overnight and suffered a cardiac arrest at 0400 local time .

He said he had been told the doctors had decided to take rapid action and had found the ill star was suffering from a "twisted intestine" which could have been a "birth defect". He said 80% of his intestines had then been removed.

Brother Robin paid tribute to his brother as "a very gifted man".

The Bee Gees will not disintegrate because we've lost Mo Barry Gibb

"We're both devastated. We've actually been in shock for the last few days since Maurice was taken ill, and so this has all gone too fast for us.

"I still can't come to terms with it now. It's just almost like a dream. It's like a nightmare that you wake up to every day.

"It's going to take a long time even just for it to sink in.

"He was the most sweetest, generous of people you could ever meet."

Immediate presence

Barry added: "He was an extrovert and he would always be the person...he would never walk into a room, Maurice.

"Maurice would prance into a room, you know, and his presence was immediate."

He insisted the band would continue with just himself and Robin.

"Maurice will be a void, always in our lives and he will always be featured as the third member of the Bee Gees, no matter what we do.

"But one thing I will tell you is that the Bee Gees will go on. The Bee Gees will not stop here. The Bee Gees will not disintegrate because we've lost Mo."

It is thought Maurice Gibb's funeral will take place in Miami, followed by a memorial service in the UK, although Robin Gibb's spokesman said this was still subject to confirmation.