Singer and actor Prashant Tamang, who rose to fame after winning the popular reality TV show Indian Idol 3, died on Sunday. His wife, Martha Aley, said that his death was natural and occurred while he was asleep.

Aley expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support and condolences from fans and well-wishers around the world following Tamang's death.

"I've been receiving calls from all over the world. People that I know, people that I don't know, I've been getting flowers. People are standing outside my house, people have come to the hospital to see him for the last time," she said.

Describing the emotional response from the public, she said, "It's really overwhelming for me and please love him as you have loved him earlier. He was a great soul, he was a great human. I hope you remember him like that."

Addressing speculation over his demise at a relatively young age, Martha Aley clarified that there was no suspicious circumstance involved.

"He was in his sleep when he left us. I was right beside him at that time," she said.

Prashant Tamang, who won Indian Idol and later made a successful transition into acting, was widely admired by his fans. His death has triggered an outpouring of grief from fans, fellow artists, and public figures, many of whom have taken to social media to pay tribute to his life and legacy.

In a message to Tamang's fans, Aley thanked them for standing by the singer throughout his career.

"I would love to thank them right now, because I've never been out, but I've always seen people supporting him through messages, through reels, through his songs, through his work, and thank you so much for all the love and support you have always given him, and I would always appreciate more love to him right now he's not with us anymore."

Hailing from West Bengal's Darjeeling, Tamang also entered acting, famously appearing in Paatal Lok Season 2.

He is also expected to be a part of Salman Khan's upcoming film, Battle of Galwan.

Tamang began his acting career in Nepali cinema in 2009. His debut film, Gorkha Paltan, was released in 2010 and performed well at the box office. He followed this with Angalo Yo Maya Ko, produced in Sikkim, which was released on March 31, 2011. Later that year, his third film Kina Maya Ma was released. Tamang's fourth Nepali film, was the war drama Nishani (2014).