Liam Payne, former One Direction singer, dies aged 31

Liam Payne, a former member of the boyband One Direction, has died aged 31 after falling from a third floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, police have confirmed.

The singer died on Wednesday at 5pm local time.

“Liam James Payne, composer and guitarist, former member of the band One Direction, died today after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Palermo,” Buenos Aires police said in a statement.

Argentinian newspapers La Nacion and Clarin reported that police were initially called to the hotel, responding to an emergency call that cited “an aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol.”

Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, told Argentina’s Todo Noticias TV channel that Payne had fallen into an internal courtyard at the hotel.

“A few minutes later [an] emergency team arrived and confirmed the death of this man who we later learned was from a musical group. He had injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall. There was no way to do anything,” Crescenti said.

Crescenti told Todo Noticias that authorities were investigating the circumstances of Payne’s death and conducting an autopsy.

Payne was just 16 years old when he became part of One Direction on British reality show, The X Factor, in 2010. The band was one of the biggest pop acts in the world, until they broke up in 2015.

Payne had been visiting Argentina along with his bandmate Niall Horan, who performed at the city’s Movistar Arena on 2 October. That evening, Payne was seen dancing and singing along with Horan’s fans.

More details to follow …