Indian Singer Zubeen Garg dies in Singapore diving accident on 19 Sept
Indian singer and songwriter Zubeen Garg, 52, died in Singapore after a scuba diving incident on Friday (19 Sept), just a day before his festival performance at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Organisers confirmed the festival’s cancellation in a sombre Facebook post, calling the loss “monumental”. They also revealed they had “no prior knowledge” that the singer was taken on a yacht ride by members of the local Assamese community.
Source: North East Festival on Facebook
Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play. Investigations are ongoing.
Breathing difficulties during scuba dive
According to Indian media NDTV, Garg developed breathing difficulties while diving.
He was pulled out of the water and given CPR before being rushed to Singapore General Hospital.
The SPF told MS News that they received a call for assistance at St John’s Island at about 3.30pm on Friday (19 Sept).
Garg was pronounced dead in the intensive care unit, Times of India reported.
Tributes pour in
The shocking news has rippled across India, particularly Assam, where Garg was a cultural icon. Fans flooded his last Instagram post — an invitation to the festival — with messages of grief and disbelief.
Source: @zubeen.garg on Instagram
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X that he Garg would be”remembered for his rich contribution to music”.
Source: Narendra Modi on X
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma mourned what he described as an irreplaceable loss to Assamese culture.
“Today Assam lost one of its favourite sons,” he wrote on X. “Rest well, Zubeen! You will always be Assam’s favourite rockstar.”
Source: Himanta Biswa Sarma on Facebook
From hit song ‘Ya Ali’ to cultural activism
Garg rose to fame with the hit ‘Ya Ali’ from the 2006 Bollywood film ‘Gangster‘. He went on to record thousands of songs in multiple languages, including Assamese, Hindi, Bengali, and Tamil. His other popular tracks include Dil Tu Hi Bataa.
Source: @zubeen.garg on Instagram
He also acted in and directed films such as ‘Kanchanjunga’ and ‘Mission China’.
Beyond entertainment, Garg contributed to public life. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he turned his residence into a care centre. He also actively championed environmental causes while mentoring young talent in north-east India.
Garg’s body is expected to be repatriated to India by Saturday (20 Sept), The Sentinel reported.
Source: The Sentinel
He is survived by his wife and father.
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Featured image adapted from Zubeen Garg on Instagram and The Sentinel.
