British singer Liam Payne, a former member of the band One Direction, died on Wednesday aged 31 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, police said.
"Liam James Payne, songwriter, guitarist and former member of the band One Direction, died today after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Palermo," a suburb of the Argentine capital, police said in a statement.
The statement added that police officers "received a call reporting an aggressive man who may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol".
Within minutes of the news of the British singer's death, a large crowd, including his fans, gathered outside the entrance to the Casa Sur hotel where the incident took place, with dozens of police officers deployed.
"I am in shock, I cannot understand what has happened. I live five streets away and I thought I had to come here," Martina De Lalla, 23, who was a One Direction fan as a teenager, told AFP.
"I feel like part of my youth has been lost," said Lina Dwek, 21, who said the group's work accompanied her from the age of 12 to 16. She expressed her hope that One Direction would reunite one day.
Alberto Crescenti, head of the emergency medical services in Buenos Aires, said Liam Payne had suffered "very serious injuries after the fall". He told local television stations that "we have confirmed that he is dead, there was no possibility of resuscitating his heart".
He said emergency services were called at 17:04 local time (20:04 GMT) and a medical team arrived seven minutes later and "confirmed the death of a man who was later identified as a singer in a band".
An investigation has been launched into the cause of death.
The British Foreign Office confirmed that it was in contact with the Argentine authorities regarding "the death of a British citizen". A spokesman for the department declined to comment on the incident.
According to Billboard magazine, Payne attended a concert by former One Direction member Niall Horan in Buenos Aires on 2 October.
Celebrity reactions began to pour in on social media platforms.
Former model and singer Paris Hilton wrote in a post on the X platform: "Very sad to hear the news of Liam Payne's passing. Love and condolences to his family and loved ones".
One Direction were formed on talent show The X Factor before becoming one of the world's biggest selling boy bands.
The X Factor presenter Dermot O'Leary posted a photo of himself and Payne on his Instagram page, captioning it: "I remember him, he was 14 when he came to audition and blew us away singing Frank Sinatra."
In 2016, the band released their fifth and final album, Made in the AM.
In 2016, she announced a hiatus, but it was never officially announced that she had left.
The band's hiatus caused sadness among millions of fans.
Payne announced that he was working on a solo album, similar to what other members of the band had done.
His single "Strip That Down" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, while it reached number ten on the Billboard Top Songs chart in the United States. In December 2019, Payne released his first solo album, LB1.
Liam Payne was born in Wolverhampton on 29 August 1993, and has written a number of songs for the band One Direction.
In recent years, he has spoken publicly about his struggles with alcoholism and the difficulties that come with fame.
In a video posted on his YouTube account in 2023, he announced that he had entered a specialist centre to stop drinking, saying: "I've become a person I no longer recognise. And I'm sure you don't recognise me either". Last year, he announced that he was working on a second album and released a new song in March 2024.
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