Paradeep Singh’s wife, Kamal, arrived in New Zealand from India just six months ago to start a new life with him.
What started as a routine day of yard work ended in tragedy for an Indian-origin couple in New Zealand after a falling tree branch killed Paradeep Singh, leaving behind his newly arrived wife with no family, income or support system in the country.Singh was known to friends and family as Deb. He died this week while carrying out maintenance work at his home in Cambridge, Waikato. He was working outside with others on his day off when the fatal accident occurred.According to eyewitnesses, Singh was helping to trim tree branches when he suffered a serious head injury. His friends believe he may have been injured after he bounced off a branch or was hit by equipment used while working.“A branch hit him on the left side of his head and must have caused some internal damage,” a spokesperson for the couple’s friends and family told 1News.People nearby rushed to help after hearing him screaming.“Paradeep screamed and everyone immediately ran towards him and called emergency services,” the spokesman said.Police said officers were called to the property at around 3.15pm to assist ambulance crews. St John’s later confirmed it had sent a rapid response unit and operations manager to the scene, but Singh was pronounced dead there.
The case has now been referred to the coroner.Singh moved to New Zealand in 2023 and worked as an operations manager for a horticultural company. His friends said he was the only earning member in the family, and he also financially supported his elderly parents in India, including his paralyzed mother.His wife, Kamal, recently joined him in New Zealand after they got married about six months ago. Her relatives say she has no direct family in the country and has not yet settled into life there.A family spokesman said: “She came here for him.”They added: “She has no source of income, no money, and has not yet, as far as I know, opened a bank account.”Another friend added: “She has no money, no support system, and is completely alone now.”The couple was planning to apply for residency in New Zealand and later travel to India for a wedding with relatives and friends.Friends and members of the local community have now launched a fundraising campaign to help return Singh’s body to India for funeral rites and to support Kamal in the wake of the tragedy.“His family is facing unimaginable grief and urgently needs support,” organizers said.
