By Arul Louis

United Nations, Feb 7 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condoled the demise of melody queen Lata Mangeshkar, calling the 'Nightingale of India' as the voice of the subcontinent, according to his spokesperson Farhan Haq.

Haq said on Sunday: "That's sad news! The SG (Secretary-General) offers condolences to her family and the people and the government of India at this time. She was the voice of an entire subcontinent."

India's Permanent Representative T.S. Tirumurti called her death an "irreplaceable loss".

"An irreplaceable loss to the nation. An irreplaceable loss to the world of music. Bharat Ratna #LataMangeshkar will live in our hearts forever," he said in a tweet.

He also retweeted a condolence message from Maldives President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih, who said that Mangeshkar's music crossed cultural frontiers.

Solih tweeted: "Saddened to hear of #LataMangeshkar's passing. Her music crossed cultural and linguistic boundaries and continues to bring joy to millions around the world. India has lost a national treasure and I offer my condolences to her loved ones and the people of India."