Zubeen Garg dies in Singapore scuba diving accident

Zubeen Garg, the celebrated Assamese singer and cultural icon, died on Friday in Singapore after a scuba diving accident, festival organisers said. He was 52 and had been in the city-state to serve as Cultural Brand Ambassador and perform at the 4th North East India Festival, scheduled to begin that day at Suntec Singapore.

Accounts of the incident vary. Festival organisers and publicity officials said Garg began experiencing breathing difficulties while diving and was taken to a hospital, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit and later died. Some reports said Singapore police rescued him from the sea and rushed him to a nearby hospital, while a festival publicity official told reporters that members of the Assam Association Singapore who were with him transported him for medical treatment. Singapore authorities are reportedly investigating the circumstances.

Organisers confirmed the development to news outlets, describing the death as sudden. There has been no detailed official statement from family members or a hospital about the precise cause of death as of Saturday, and festival officials said further information would be released as it became available.