31-year-old British pop artist, Liam Payne – a former singer of the famous boy band One Direction, was tragically killed following a fall from a hotel room balcony in Buenos Aires.
According to local authorities, Payne fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel, located in the posh Palermo district of Argentina’s capital, where he was on vacation. This incident resulted in “extremely serious injuries,” according to a police statement, which also noted that medical personnel confirmed his death at the scene.
Authorities indicated that Payne’s body was discovered after emergency services received a call from the hotel manager, who had sought urgent police assistance shortly before the singer’s passing.
According to the communications director for the Buenos Aires Security Ministry, Payne “had leaped from the balcony of his accommodation.” The official indicated that law enforcement had been summoned to the hotel following reports of an “aggressive individual who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
“We have a guest who is heavily intoxicated with drugs and alcohol,” stated the hotel manager in a recording of an emergency call obtained by Todo Noticias TV channel. “He is causing damage. He is destroying the entire room.”
Earlier, Payne shared images of himself without a shirt alongside a young woman in a black bikini on Snapchat. According to media reports, this post was made just 45 minutes prior to the announcement of his death.
The State Emergency Medical System chief stated that Argentine officials are examining the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death and are performing an autopsy.
Payne was a member of One Direction, a band that gained immense global fame after its formation on the British version of The X Factor in 2010. The group consisted of Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson. In 2016, the band entered an “indefinite hiatus” to allow its members to explore individual careers.
While authorities are looking into the circumstances surrounding his death, Payne had previously addressed his struggles with alcohol addiction. Last year, he shared a video on his YouTube channel, revealing that he had maintained sobriety for six months following treatment.