Celebrated Assamese singer and cultural icon Zubeen Garg lost his life in Singapore after a scuba diving accident. He was 52.

According to reports, Singapore police rescued him from the sea in unconscious condition and rushed him to a local hospital. Despite being placed under intensive care, doctors were unable to revive him. Zubeen had travelled to Singapore to attend the North East Festival, where he was scheduled to perform on Friday.

Zubeen Garg came to limelight in Bollywood with the song “Ya Ali” from the 2006 film Gangster. He recorded more than 38,000 songs in 40 languages. His first album was “Anamika” in 1992.

News of his sudden death has left his fans and cultural communities stunned. Zubeen was revered not just as a singer, lyricist, musician, film-maker and actor but also as a cultural force and philanthropist across the Northeast.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed sadness over the sudden demise of singer Zubeen Garg. In a social media post, Mr Modi said that Zubeen Garg will be remembered for his rich contribution to music and his renditions were very popular among people across all walks of life. Mr Modi also expressed condolences to his family and admirers.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda have expressed grief over the sudden demise of Zubeen Garg. In a social media post, Mr Shah said that Zubeen Garg mesmerized listeners for decades with his golden voice and wove the threads of unity across the country with his timeless music. Meanwhile, Mr Nadda said that Zubeen Garg’s immense contributions to music and cinema elevated Assam’s rich culture to the national stage. Both leaders also expressed condolences to the family and friends of Zubeen Garg.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Assam today lost one of its favourite sons. The Chief Minister said, Zubeen’s voice had an unmatched ability to energise people and future generations will remember his as a stalwart of Assam’s culture.