Zubeen Garg dies at 52: Did the Assamese singer die in scuba diving accident? Here’s the truth

Celebrated Bollywood and Assamese singer Zubeen Garg died in a tragic accident in Singapore. The 52-year-old artist was in the island nation to perform at the North East India(BHARAT) Festival, scheduled for September 20 and 21.

Initial reports suggested that Garg passed away while scuba diving. A representative of the festival told NDTV, “It is with deep sadness that we share the news of Zubeen Garg’s passing.”

“While scuba diving, he experienced breathing difficulties and was immediately given CPR before being rushed to Singapore General Hospital. Despite efforts to save him, he was declared deceased in the ICU around 2.30 pm IST,” said Anuj Kumar Boruah.

However, fresh details from authorities clarified a different sequence of events.

Zubeen Garg died while swimming without a life jacket

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that the singer died while swimming in the sea without a life jacket. According to PTI, Sarma said, “Zubeen died while swimming without a life jacket,” adding that Singapore authorities will question those who accompanied him.

Sarma explained that video footage shows Garg jumping into the sea from a yacht wearing a life jacket. “After the 1.26 mark in the video, Zubeen Garg can be seen returning to the yacht. According to reports, he jumped into the sea a second time, but after removing the life jacket, he said it was uncomfortable. Moments later, he was found floating in the sea, unresponsive,” he said. Garg was rushed to Singapore General Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead around 2.30 pm IST. An autopsy is scheduled.

Festival organisers react

The North East India(BHARAT) Festival organisers also expressed their grief and clarified that they were unaware of the yacht visit prior to the accident.

Their statement read, “With profound grief, we share the heartbreaking news that our beloved icon, Zubeen Garg, passed away today at Singapore General Hospital around 2.30 pm. Zubeen had arrived in Singapore just the day before yesterday. He was scheduled to be with us at the festival tomorrow, meeting and interacting with people.”

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They added, “Earlier today, our entire team was engaged in a business meeting with senior Singaporean industrialists and policymakers at the Shangri-La Hotel. 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 learned that a few members of the local Assamese community had taken him on a yacht visit, of which we had no prior knowledge.”

The organisers concluded, “On receiving the news, our team rushed immediately to the hospital and has since been working closely with the High Commission to complete the necessary procedures. This is a monumental loss, and words cannot express the depth of our grief. In light of this tragedy, we are cancelling the event. Om Shanti.”

Who was Zubeen Garg?

Zubeen Garg was one of Assam’s most popular cultural icons, known for his songs in Assamese, Bengali, and Hindi. He rose to nationwide fame with the hit track “Ya Ali” from the film Gangster and delivered several other popular songs, including “Dil Tu Hi Bataa” from Krrish 3.

Garg also worked extensively in Assamese films as a singer, actor, and director. Some of his hits included Kanchanjunga, Mission China, Dinabandhu, and Mon Jai.

In 2022, he suffered a minor head injury after falling unconscious at a resort in Dibrugarh. He was flown to Guwahati in an air ambulance and treated at a private super-speciality hospital.

Highlights:

1. Zubeen Garg died in Singapore while swimming without a life jacket.
2. The North East India(BHARAT) Festival organisers were unaware of the yacht trip prior to the accident.