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A popular Indian singer has died in a freak scuba-diving accident in Singapore, aged 52, officials said.
Zubeen Garg, the Bollywood singer behind one of the most popular songs of the 2000s, Ya Ali, was in Singapore to perform at the Northeast India Festival when he suffered a medical emergency while swimming, according to local media reports quoting officials.
He was pulled out by Singapore police and taken to a hospital but could not be saved.
His death was confirmed by Ashok Singhal, a minister in his home state of Assam in northeast India. The minister called Garg “the pride of Assam and the nation”.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said an autopsy had been carried out in Singapore and that arrangements were being made to bring the singer’s body home.
“Today Assam lost one of its favourite sons,” he said, adding that the remains would lie in state in the capital Guwahati for public tribute.
“I am at a loss for words to describe what Zubeen meant for the state. He has gone too early; this was not the age to go. Zubeen’s voice had an unmatched ability to energise people, and his music spoke directly to our minds and souls. He has left a void that will never be filled. Future generations will remember him as a stalwart of Assam’s culture, and his works will inspire many more talented artists in the days and years to come.”
Garg, one of the most recognisable voices to emerge from India’s northeast over the past three decades, recorded in more than 40 languages and dialects.
Though best known nationally for Ya Ali from the movie Gangster, his career spanned film soundtracks, independent albums and acting. He was also a prolific live performer.
Tributes flooded in from fans and politicians after news of his death broke on Friday, with vigils reported across Assam.
Large crowds gathered in cities, many openly weeping and embracing one another in grief, Hindustan Times reported.
