Liam Payne, a former member of One Direction, has tragically died at the age of 31 after reportedly falling from his third-floor hotel balcony.
On October 16, at approximately 5:00pm, police were dispatched to the CasaSur hotel located in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The hotel manager informed the authorities that a man, identified as 31-year-old Payne, had fallen from his room’s balcony. Payne gained fame with the band One Direction on The X-Factor, a British singing competition show.
According to a police statement, they responded to reports about an ‘aggressive man who might be under the influence of drugs and alcohol’.
In audio released by the Buenos Aires security ministry and obtained by Reuters, a hotel employee can be heard telling police that when the man ‘is conscious he is destroying the room’ and that staff were concerned for the guest’s safety, prompting them to request assistance.
The head of the state emergency medical system also provided additional information in a statement.
Alberto Crescenti shared on Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel: “At 17.04 through the 911 integrated public safety system, we were alerted of a person who was in an internal courtyard of the management of a south house hotel.
“At 17.11 a SAME team arrived and verified the death of this man and later we found out that he was a singer in a musical group.
“Unfortunately, he had injuries that were incompatible with life, as a result of his fall, so we had to confirm his death, there was no possibility of resuscitation.”
Since the news broke, social media has been flooded with tributes.
One Twitter user expressed: “Like this isn’t just the loss of Liam Payne, this is the loss of One Direction like it will never be the same again nothing will ever be the same again.”
“It feels unreal… One Direction was such a huge part of our lives, and now this news about Liam just hits so hard. Rest in peace, Liam,” another user added.
Another commented: “To the friends and family of Liam Payne we send you our deepest condolences for the loss of Liam he will surely be missed.”
And a fourth reflected: “From auditioning on X-Factor to becoming part of one of the biggest boy bands in the world, Liam Payne’s journey has been nothing short of incredible. Thank you for the music and memories.”
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