India’s Modi mourns death of Assamese icon Zubeen Garg after Singapore scuba accident

SINGAPORE, Sept 21 — India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed shock over the sudden death of singer Zubeen Garg, who died on Friday following a scuba diving accident in Singapore. Garg, a cultural icon from Assam, was 52.

In a heartfelt message on X, Modi wrote: “Shocked by the sudden demise of popular singer Zubeen Garg. He will be remembered for his rich contribution to music. His renditions were very popular among people across all walks of life. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.”

Garg had arrived in Singapore a day before he was scheduled to perform at the North East Festival yesterday, an event celebrating the culture and products of India’s north-eastern region. The festival was cancelled following the tragedy.

“With profound grief, we share the heartbreaking news that our beloved icon, Zubeen Garg, passed away today at Singapore General Hospital around 2.30pm. Zubeen had arrived in Singapore just the day before yesterday,” said Shyamkanu Mahanta & Team, organisers of the event. 

“He was scheduled to be with us at the festival tomorrow, meeting and interacting with people.”

The organisers said they were unaware that Garg had gone on a yacht trip with members of the local Assamese community. 

“During the meeting, we received a call from Zubeen’s manager informing us that he had met with an accident and had been rushed to Singapore General Hospital. We later learnt that a few members of the local Assamese community had taken him on a yacht visit, of which we had no prior knowledge,” the statement said.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that Garg’s post-mortem was completed and that his remains were handed over to a team accompanied by officials from the Indian High Commission. 

According to The Statesman, Garg “developed serious breathing issues during the scuba diving session” and was rushed to Singapore General Hospital.

Opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described Garg’s death as “a terrible tragedy,” remembering how the singer’s music touched millions despite personal hardships.