Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has confirmed that the mortal remains of popular singer Zubeen Garg, who passed away in Singapore following complications during a scuba diving session, will be brought back to Guwahati after a post-mortem is completed.
Sharing updates on X, CM Sarma said, “Singaporean authorities have confirmed that a post-mortem of our beloved Zubeen Garg will be conducted. We expect this to conclude by 2 PM SGT. Thereafter, his mortal remains will be handed over to Indian authorities, and we shall begin the process of bringing him home. I shall keep all of you posted.”
Earlier, CM Sarma and his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma visited the late singer’s residence in Guwahati to express condolences to the family. He wrote, “Riniki and I visited the residence of our beloved Zubeen in Guwahati to stand in solidarity with his family in this hour of grief. Thousands of his admirers are waiting on the streets to have his last glimpse – we are constantly in touch to bring him back to Assam soon.”
Fans across Assam, particularly in Guwahati and Jorhat, were seen paying emotional tributes to the beloved artist.
According to the Northeast India Festival, the 51-year-old singer developed severe breathing issues during the scuba diving session. “He 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,” the statement added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences, stating, “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.”
Zubeen Garg was celebrated for his contributions to Assamese, Hindi, and Bengali music, with hits including the popular track “Ya Ali” from the film Gangster.