Community mourns the death of 28-year-old Indian national in South Australia

Community mourns the death of Indian bus driver Gagandeep Singh who died in an accident on 7th July, 2023 in Port Augusta, South Australia.

The local community has rallied to help fund the repatriation of the body of Indian bus driver, Gagandeep Singh, who died in an accident on 7 July in Port Augusta. Credit: Preetinder Singh

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The community is grieving the death of Gagandeep Singh, a 28-year-old Indian national, who lost his life in an accident in Port Augusta, approximately 300km north of Adelaide in South Australia.

Key Points

Gagandeep Singh has been killed in a bus accident in Port Augusta.
The community has raised funds for the repatriation of his body back to India.
He was a promising dancer who had planned to move to Melbourne.

It is believed that Mr Singh had parked his bus on Conroy Street and, after exiting, the bus rolled forward and pinned him against a gate just after 3.30pm on Friday, 7 July.

Police confirmed that despite the immediate medical response from paramedics at the scene, he died after being transported to a nearby hospital.

Hailing from the Ludhiana district of Punjab in India, Mr Singh was a young migrant who had been working as a bus driver in Port Augusta for the past six months.

Rubal Singh, a relative of the deceased, has expressed his grief and disbelief over the incident.

“I talked to him (the) day before the incident. Excitedly sharing his plans for the future, he mentioned that it would be his final shift as a bus driver in Port Augusta. He had been eagerly looking forward to relocating to Melbourne later this month. Little did he know that fate had other plans in store for him,” he told SBS Punjabi.

Mr Singh said that the Major Crash Unit was investigating the circumstances leading to his death.

“We believe somehow the handbrake wasn’t applied to the bus that he parked at the yard. After exiting the bus, he realised that it was still moving. He tried to stop it by shutting down the roller gate but was tragically crushed between the bus and the gate,” he added.

The deceased man had achieved national recognition for his skills in the field of Bhangra (Punjabi dance) and was an esteemed member of Melbourne's Panj Aab Bhangra team.

Panj Aab Bhangra organiser, Aminder Dhami, expressed deep sorrow over the incident and has shared his condolences with the grief-stricken family.

“It is very sad to see a young life being lost in such tragic circumstances. We will remember him (as) a very vibrant and kind-hearted man who impressed everyone with his unique personality,” he said.

Meanwhile, the community has rallied together, raising over $60,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to facilitate the repatriation of Mr Singh's remains to India.

Rubal Singh expressed heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the family, acknowledging the generosity and support extended by community members during this challenging time.

For more details, listen to this interview with Rubal Singh in Punjabi.

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