Goalpara, Oct. 26: Singer Jiten Deka, who won the hearts of Assamese people through his songs like Mor xukula ghora, died in a car accident in lower Assam's Goalpara district in the wee hours today.

Deka is survived by his wife and two sons. He was 62.

The accident took place at Fafal under Dudhnoi police station in Goalpara district around 1.30am when Deka was returning home at Harimura village after performing in a cultural programme at Boko in Kamrup district.

There were four others in the car with Deka. One of them, Mitra Rabha, a social worker from Dudhnoi, died on the spot. Deka died while he was being taken to Guwahati. The three others were injured. Deka's friend, Nirmal Kumar Chatterjee, who was also in the car, said the accident had occurred because of thick fog.

"I was in the front seat and Jitenda was driving his car. The road was so foggy that we could hardly see anything. We noticed that a truck was on the road without its backlight on. Within a moment our car hit the truck and I passed out."

"After sometime, I found myself and Jitenda badly injured. I immediately called the 108 ambulance services. Four of us were taken to the Dudhnoi health centre. Later, I was taken to Goalpara civil hospital and Jitenda was taken to Guwahati for better treatment," Chatterjee said.

Deka was born on January 26, 1953, at Harimura village in Goalpara district. He pursued music since childhood. In 1980, the All India Radio recognised him as a singer.

He composed many songs in Assamese and many of them have become popular. Deka's popular music albums are Mor Xukula Ghora, Mor Xuror Indrodhonu and Hits of Jiten Deka. His two albums Rupali Anurag and Pol Anupol are yet to be released.

On November 4, 2012, Deka organised a music programme on the bank of Jinary river at Harimura village where 5,000 singers sang Jayanta Hazarika's popular song Akou Natun Prabhat Hobo in unison. Deka worked in the sales tax department of the Assam government and retired in 2013.