Liam Payne, former One Direction star, dies in a hotel in Argentina – what we know so far | Ents & Arts News

Former One Direction star Liam Payne has died aged 31.

How did Payne die?

Local police said Payne fell from the third floor of a hotel in the capital Buenos Aires on Wednesday evening.

He is said to have suffered “extremely serious injuries”.

Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said on Argentine television that Payne fell in a courtyard of the CasaSur Hotel in the Palermo district.

He declined to answer further questions about the incident, including the circumstances surrounding the fall.

Pablo Policicchio, a spokesman for the Buenos Aires city security department, said police were called to the hotel in response to an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

Sky News has obtained a transcript of the 911 call made from the hotel where Liam Payne was staying last night.

The caller – the hotel’s receptionist – tells the emergency operator that there was “a guest drunk on drugs and alcohol” at the hotel who “broke everything in the room.”

The manager said emergency services were urgently needed “because I don’t know if the guest’s life is in danger because he is in a room with a balcony and we are concerned that he might do something that is life-threatening.”

You can listen to the full transcript by clicking on the video below:

A statement from local emergency services said they arrived at the hotel within six minutes of receiving the emergency call and found a person lying on the hotel’s terrace.

They said they determined the injuries he suffered from the fall were fatal and that there was no way to revive him.

There are also reports of people saying they heard a loud bang in the yard shortly before a body was found.

Tributes as Payne was found dead in hotel – follow at the latest

Fans light a “spontaneous memorial” as the body is taken to the morgue

Many of Payne’s fans arrived at the hotel entrance shortly after the incident and began lighting candles as part of a “spontaneous memorial service,” Argentine journalist Natalio Cosoy told Sky News.

“They started lighting candles around the tree, right in front of the entrance to the hotel,” he said.

“Dozens of fans gathered here earlier, when Liam’s body was still here, waiting for the moment when the body would be taken to the coroner’s office.”

“That happened some time ago, but they still stayed here.

“They also sang the band’s songs in remembrance, some of them cried and were very sad when they heard this news.”

Payne’s social media post hours before his death

Payne had posted on Snapchat in the final hours before his death and in a video, he said it was a “beautiful day here in Argentina.”

“I just enjoy coffee and breakfast even though it’s only 1 p.m.,” he said. “Literally sleeping in every day until about 12. We’re such losers.”

The star spoke about “riding a few horses” and said: “I think I’m going to play polo again, which will keep me out of action for about six weeks.”

“It will be a beautiful day,” he added.

The videos appeared to have been released days after the shooting, as they showed Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy, who had uploaded videos of her return to Florida to social media earlier in the week.

Why was Payne in Argentina?

Payne was in Buenos Aires to attend his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan’s concert.

He was seen dancing with his girlfriend, wife Cassidy, at his show at the Movistar Arena two weeks ago.

What happens now?

Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death and are conducting an autopsy Stars pay tribute to Payne.

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