According to Reuters news agency, Argentine police said they were called to the hotel in the Palermo neighborhood after receiving reports of an “aggressive man who may have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol”.
The hotel manager said he heard a loud noise at the back of the venue. When police arrived, they found Liam Payne falling from a balcony. Paramedics confirmed the singer was dead.
Liam Payne, former member of boy band One Direction, died at the age of 31 after falling from a balcony.
Alberto Crescenti, director of emergency medical services, explained to Argentina’s Todo Noticias television channel that Payne fell from a height of 13-14 meters and “suffered serious injuries that led to immediate death.”
American music channel MTV, streaming service Spotify and the British music awards BRIT all expressed their grief on social media, sending condolences to the singer’s family and loved ones.
Witnesses said the incident happened at around 5pm local time. The pop star had been acting erratically in the hotel lobby earlier.
According to an audio recording of the incident obtained by the Buenos Aires Security Department, police received a call from hotel staff asking for urgent help with a drunk guest.
“When he woke up, he was destroying the entire room and we need you to send someone,” the employee said, adding that the guest’s life was in danger because the hotel room had a balcony.
Payne, who has a 7-year-old son named Bear with his ex-girlfriend Cheryl Cole, was recently spotted in Argentina with his new girlfriend Kate Cassidy on September 30. The pair posted several posts together on social media, showing them enjoying their vacation.