Heartbroken fans have descended on the Buenos Aries hotel where former One Direction member Liam Payne died last night to lay candles and flowers in tribute to the singer.
The popstar fell to his death from the third floor of a room in the Casa Sur Palmero Hotel shortly after 5pm (ART) yesterday.
Local police said they had been called to the luxury hotel prior to Liam’s fall after being ‘informed of an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol.’
He had reportedly arrived in the Latin American country earlier this month to attend his ex bandmate Niall Horan’s concert.
Last night, thousands of fans gathered outside the hotel, while emergency services worked at the scene around a central red tent at the location the star fell.
Some lit candles, some sang One Direction songs and others held each sobbing as they paused to remember Mr Payne who was one fifth of the most popular boy band of the 2010s.
In order to control the crowd, Argentinian police were forced to form a line in front of the hotel to stop distraught local fans getting too close to the scene.
Last night, thousands of fans gathered outside the hotel where Liam Payne died
Some were pictured lighting candles and praying for the singer
Others held each sobbing as they paused to remember Mr Payne who was one fifth of the most succesful boy band of the 2010s
Former One Direction member Liam Payne has died in Buenos Aires at the age of 31
Liam was a founding member of One Direction: the most popular boy band of the 2010s
His girlfriend Kate Cassidy posted a picture of the pair on her Instagram last August
Several witnesses told the publication that Mr Payne had fallen from his room at the Casa Sur Palmero Hotel shortly after 5pm (ART) Wednesday evening
Outside the Casa Sur hotel where Liam Payne was found dead on Wednesday evening, gathered fans held an impromptu vigil.
Crying and hugging, they lit candles and softly sung One Direction songs. They held a moment of silence, before clapping.
Some spoke of their shock at finding out the news, and shared their memories of the 31-year-old.
‘It’s quite distressing,’ one fan, Rosario, told the BBC.
‘It still hasn’t hit me, everything that’s happening doesn’t seem real,’ Letizia said.
Marina said she felt compelled to come and pay her respects because of how much Payne and One Direction meant to her during her adolescence.
‘I felt that it was necessary because he was a part of my childhood… All my friends and I were big fans of One Direction, it left its mark on us.
‘The news was very sad.’
There have been an outpour of tributes online, with fellow former X Factor contestants Jedwad writing: ‘RIP Liam Payne. Condolences to his friends and family.’
The 31-year-old shot to fame in 2010 on XFactor with former bandmates Niall Horan , Zayn Malik , Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson , despite initially auditioning separately.
A heartbreaking video shows Liam Payne singing and dancing at his former bandmate Niall Horan’s, where he later posted a picture with Niall to Snapchat captioned: ‘Reunited.’
They added: ‘ Sending strength to Cheryl and his son Bear, and all the One Direction family.’
Ex-X Factor contestant and TV personality Rylan Clark said: ‘Extremely sad news. Very tragic and so young. RIP Liam x’
Singer Olly Murs, who starred on The X Factor the year before One Direction, said he was ‘lost for words’, describing Payne’s death as ‘devastating’ on Instagram.
‘We always had a good laugh when we saw each other, sometimes the catch ups were only short and sweet but when we did it was mostly about how annoyingly good his hair always looked, or our love for Becks, the old XF (X Factor) days and the tour we shared together,’ Murs wrote beside a picture of the pair.
‘Liam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams so to see his life now end so young hits hard, I’m truly gutted and devastated for his family and of course his son Bear losing a dad.’
Harry Styles’ mother Anne Twist posted a broken-hearted emoji on Instagram, captioning it: ‘Just a boy.’
Fellow former contestant Katie Waissel wrote: ‘My heart is completely torn to shreds right now, I am at an absolute loss for words.’
Former X Factor presenter Dermot O’Leary described shock reports of Liam Payne’s death as ‘the worst news’.
He said: ‘I remember him as a 14 year old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing.
‘He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble.
‘Sending love and prayers to his family. Dx’
Paris Hilton wrote: ‘So upsetting to hear the news of Liam Payne passing. Sending love and condolences to his family and loves ones. RIP my friend.
Dermot O’Leary has led the tributes to his friend Liam Payne following the former One Direction star’s death
American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth also shared his heartbreak
Oasis singer Liam Gallagher has paid tribute to Liam Payne on X
Singer Boy George also paid tribute describing the news of his death as ‘awful’
The One Call Away singer wrote: ‘I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me. ‘I am so upset right now, may he rest in peace. I am so sorry…’
There has been an outpour of tributes online, with fellow celebrities sending their condolences
Singer Charlie Puth has shared a series of photos and videos to his Instagram as he paid tribute to the late One Direction star.
The 32-year-old Light Switch hitmaker posted a sweet photograph of the pair, each pointing to the other and with their arms around one another.
He wrote to his 18.4million followers: ‘I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me.
‘He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I can not believe he is gone.’
Singer Max George has revealed he is ‘devastated’ at the news of Liam Payne’s death.
The Wanted 2.0 star wrote on X: ‘Liam was unbelievably supportive during one of the most difficult times in my life.
Local police have since launched into the 31-year-old’s sudden death, as tributes flood in in the wake of the tragedy.
A police statement from local police said they arrived to the hotel after they were ‘informed of an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol’.
City ambulance service provider spokesman Alberto Crescenti said Mr Payne had fallen around 40 metres and suffered ‘severe injuries which were incompatible with life.’
He said: ‘The alarm was raised at 5.04pm local time saying a person was lying in an internal patio at Casa Sur.
‘At 5.11pm an ambulance arrived and the man was certified dead.
‘Afterwards we found out he had been a famous singer. Unfortunately the injuries he had suffered as a result of the fall proved to be fatal. There was no possibility of resuscitating him.’
The star’s final Snapchat post showed him happily posing with his partner Kate Cassidy as they looked into a mirror – a picture which was originally taken last August.
Further posts from the final moments of the star’s life showed him enjoying lunch in his hotel room, where he revealed the pair had been ‘waking up at 1pm every day’ and deciding on Forest Gump as a Halloween costume.
A further tragic selfie was captioned: ‘Lovely day in Argentina’ before the star shared a photo of his hotel, writing: ‘Happy I got some time away’ followed by a heart emoji.
He shared a further photo with Kate captioned: ‘Quality time.’
First responders arrive at the hotel where Liam Payne, former One Direction member, was found dead, in Buenos Aires
Police stand guard outside CasaSur Palmero Hotel where Liam Payne was found
Droves of fans have arrived at the scene in Buenos Aires in the wake of Liam Payne’s death
Pictured: A forensic technician using his phone outside the hotel in the wake of the popstar’s sudden death
Fans place candles outside the hotel where Liam Payne was found dead
Fans of singer Liam Payne light candles in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Emotional fans pictured outside the Casa Sur Palmero hotel this evening
One fan sitting on the curb in tears after the news of Liam Payne’s death
Liam’s supporters embrace one another outside the hotel in Buenos Aires
Fans continue to light candles outside of the Argentinian hotel
Despite the adoration, the band ultimately finished in third place on the X Factor but shortly afterwards Cowell a reported £2million Syco contract
Liam Payne’s ex-fiancée Maya Henry has broken her silence following the singer’s sudden death.
A source close to Henry has told DailyMail.com: ‘Right now she is obviously in shock.’
The model only found out when a member of her team was contacted by a reporter.
Liam began his pursuit to stardom when he initially auditioned for X Factor in 2008.
At only 14-years-old Liam impressed judges with his own version of Fly Me To The Moon by Frank Sinatra – but was later eliminated from the show.
However Payne gave his singing career another go auditioning for the competition again in 2010, where he quickly shot to fame as part of One Direction.
He and his former bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, were brought together by Simon Cowell and former judge Nicole Scherzinger who saw their potential as a group.
After just a few weeks of getting to know each other and non-stop rehearsing, the group impressed Simon at their Judge’s Houses audition and sailed through to the live shows.
The pop Svengali later admitted to Rolling Stone that it took him ‘about a millionth of a second’ to spot the group’s worldwide potential.
The fan reaction was instant too, with 1D hysteria soon dwarfing the show. Despite the adoration, the band ultimately finished in third place on the X Factor but shortly afterwards Cowell sealed their fate by signing the fivesome to a reported £2million Syco contract.
Keen to capitalise on the boys’ already devoted fanbase, Cowell moved quickly with recording for the band’s debut album beginning in January 2011.
A further tragic selfie was captioned: ‘Lovely day in Argentina’
Payne was seen contemplating a Forest Gump Halloween costume – he would die just 15 days before the holiday
The star heartbreakingly said he was ‘happy to have some time away’ less than an hour before he fell to his death
Reps for Liam Payne’s ex- fiancée Maya Henry told DailyMail.com: ‘Right now she is obviously in shock.’ (pictured: Payne and Henry in 2019 at Paris Fashion Week)
By September of that year One Direction’s first single was released with What Makes You Beautiful soaring to number one on the UK Singles Chart, after becoming the most pre-ordered Sony Music Entertainment single in history.
Their debut album, Up All Night was also a best seller, becoming the UK’s fastest-selling debut album of 2011, with the record leading to their first tour which kicked off in the UK that December.
After Malik announced his departure from the band in 2015, the band members went their separate ways.
During their time as a group, One Direction won five Brit Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, amassed over three billion YouTube views and sold 50 million records worldwide.
After releasing five albums with one of the biggest boybands of all time, Liam released his first solo album titled LP1 in 2019.
His singles Strip That Down co-written with Ed Sheeran climbed its way to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that same year.
Over the course of his music career, the popstar collaborated with the likes of J Balvin, French Montana, Dixie D’Amelio and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie.
He was previously in a relationship with British pop sensation Cheryl Cole and the pair welcomed their son Bear Grey on March 22, 2017. The parents later split in 2018.
He was previously in a relationship with British pop sensation Cheryl Cole and the pair welcomed their son Bear Grey on March 22, 2017
Liam pictured with his son Bear as a newborn
After Malik announced his departure from the band in 2015, the band went their separate ways
After releasing five albums with one of the biggest boybands of all time, Liam released his first solo album titled LP1 in 2019
Over the course of his music career, the popstar collaborated with the likes of J Balvin, French Montana, Dixie D’Amelio and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie
Following his romance with Ms Cole, Liam had an on-and-off relationship with ex-fiancée Maya Henry, and the pair called it quits in May, 2022.
He leaves behind his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne, his son Bear, seven and his two older sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
MailOnline has approached Liam Payne’s representatives for comment.
‘I will never forget that. My thoughts are with his family, friends and fans at this horrendous time. Rest in peace Liam.’
Stephen Bartlett penned: ‘I cannot believe what I’m reading about Liam Payne. Absolutely heartbreaking.’
Martin Lewis wrote: ‘Shocking and tragic. Rip. I don’t know him, but this felt like a gut punch reading about such a young man. Thoughts with his loves ones.
MTV released the following tribute: ‘We’re deeply saddened to learn of Liam Payne’s tragic passing today. During this difficult time, our hearts remain with his family, loved one, and fans.’
The Brit Awards said: ‘We’re incredibly sad to learn of the tragic passing of Liam Payne. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family at this time.’
Spotify also added: ‘ We are deeply saddened by the news of Liam Payne’s passing. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the many fans who loved and supported him.’
