Former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead outside a hotel in Buenos Aires after the 31-year-old fell from his third-floor room balcony, Argentine police said on Wednesday.
In a statement, the capital police said they were called to the hotel in the capital’s leafy Palermo neighborhood where they were notified of an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol.”
The hotel manager said he heard a loud noise at the back of the hotel, and when police arrived they found that a man had fallen over the balcony in his room, the statement said.
Emergency workers confirmed the death of the British singer, who was reportedly found in the hotel’s interior patio.
“I am in shock right now. Liam Payne was always so kind to me,” American singer Charlie Puth said on Instagram. “He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I cannot believe he is gone.”
US music channel MTV, streaming service Spotify and the BRITs British music awards all expressed their grief on social media, sending their condolences to his family and loved ones.
Liam Payne had a son named Bear with British TV personality and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl in 2017.
Neither Liam Payne’s record label Republic Records, nor its owner Universal Music Group could immediately be reached for comment.
Police had received a call from a worker at the hotel requesting urgent help with an intoxicated guest, according to audio related to the case obtained from the Buenos Aires security ministry.
“When he is conscious he is destroying the entire room and we need you to send someone,” the worker said, adding that the guest’s life was at risk because their room had a balcony.
Emergency responders removed the body from the hotel to take to the morgue, while fans and onlookers who had gathered through the early evening, some hugging each other and crying, burst into applause.
CROWD GATHERS TO MOURN BOY BAND STAR
The “For You” singer rose to global fame as part of the since-disbanded pop band One Direction, alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.
