One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, dies in Argentina after fall from hotel room balcony

Former British boyband member of One Direction, Liam Payne, 31, was found dead outside a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

According to Reuters, Argentinian police confirmed on Oct. 17, 2024 (local time) that Payne fell from his third-floor room balcony.

In a statement by the police, they said they were called to the Palermo neighbourhood, where they were alerted to an "aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol."

The hotel manager said that he heard a loud noise at the back of the hotel, and when the police arrived, they found that a man had fallen over the balcony in his room.

Emergency workers confirmed Payne's death, Reuters reported.

Before his fatal fall, Payne was seen in Argentina attending the concert of his former bandmate, Niall Horan, on Oct. 2.

One Direction

Payne rose to fame in 2010 when he participated in the UK version of the music competition X Factor, and was put in a group with Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson to form One Direction.

The boy band released four albums and toured the world.

One Direction came to Singapore and performed on Mar.11, 2015, at the National Stadium before Malik left the band on Mar. 25, 2015.

Payne, Styles, Horan, and Tomlinson released one more album before the band broke up in 2016.

Payne had one son with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Ann Tweedy in 2017. The couple broke up in 2018.

Top photos via Liam Payne/Instagram & One Direction/Instagram