Veteran Bengali and Odia singer Nirmala Mishra has passed away in the early hours of Sunday after suffering a massive heart attack. She was 81.

According to reports, Mishra had been had been battling age-related ailments for some time.

"She suffered a massive heart attack around 12.05 am and was taken to the nearest nursing home, where the singer was declared dead," the doctor told PTI.

Born in 1938 in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, Nirmala Mishra is a recipient of the Sangeet Sudhakar Balakrushna Das Award, which was conferred on the singer for her lifetime contribution to Odia music.

Her popular Bengali songs include 'Eamon Ekta Jhinuk', 'Bolo to Arshi' and 'Eai Banglar Mati Te', while some of her hit Odia songs are 'Nida Bhara Raati Madhu Jhara Janha' and 'Mo Mana Beena Ra Taare'.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief over the demise of the veteran singer.