Liam Payne suffered a gruesome fall from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, after which he died instantly from multiple injuries, including a fractured skull.
Hotel workers report that at some point during his stay, he caused destruction to furnishings in his hotel room and was “off his head on drugs.” Hence, suspicions have grown that his tragic death may be drug-related.
People have since shared their tributes to Liam Payne on social media, and his Argentinian fans stormed the scene of his accident to lay candles.
Liam Payne Died After Suffering A ‘Cranial Fracture’ After His Fall
The late “Midnight Hour” singer died on the spot yesterday after falling from the third floor of the multi-story Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentinian capital.
According to the Daily Mail, Payne suffered life-altering degrees of injuries, including a fractured skull, after landing on a patio close to the hotel’s swimming pool and had already given up the ghost when paramedics got to the scene.
The head of Buenos Aires emergency services, Alberto Crescenti, disclosed that Payne had a “cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries that led to his immediate death.”
He also told TN television that Payne was dead when paramedics arrived at 5 pm local time, adding, “Our role was to head there quickly, give medical attention, and try to resuscitate him, but his injuries were incompatible with life.”
According to the news outlet, his identity was confirmed via his passport, but cops are yet to arrive at a conclusive reason for his fall.
His body has reportedly been transported to a local morgue where a post-mortem examination will be conducted.
Payne had arrived in Buenos Aires earlier this month to attend his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan’s concert with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy.
Cassidy reportedly left the country about two days ago, but Payne decided to stay put.
According to the Daily Mail, Payne was suspected to have been under the influence as conversations between a hotel reception worker and emergency services revealed that he was “off his head on drugs” and destroying things in his hotel room.
The hotel staff reportedly made a distressing call asking for “urgent” help as the 31-year-old was acting uncoordinated and had to be escorted to his room.
They made two calls, saying in the first, “We have a guest who’s off his head on drugs and is destroying everything in his room. We need someone to come.”
The staff, who later identified himself as Esteban, then called back after the call went off, saying, “‘I don’t know if the guest’s life is in danger. The room has a balcony and we are afraid he might do something.”
Seconds later, he added, “Just send an ambulance, only an ambulance.”
Local media reports that Payne was “acting erratically in the hotel lobby and smashed his laptop” before he “had to be carried back to his room.”
Several fans of the singer filled the location of Payne’s death to lay candles and pay their last respects.
According to the Daily Mail, mourners held an impromptu vigil by the roadside to pay tributes to the father-of-one. Other fans and celebrities have also taken to social media to share their tributes.
A fan wrote, “Nooo, at first I thought it was some prank bit nooo way, our wish to see 1D together again will forever be a wish now.”
Another fan said, “Such devastating news. Liam’s talent and impact on music will never be forgotten. My heart goes out to his family, friends, and the entire 1D community during this difficult time.”
The official X Factor page also shared tributes to X, writing, “We are heartbroken by the sad passing of Liam Payne. He was immensely talented and, as part of One Direction, Liam will leave a lasting legacy on the music industry and fans around the world. Our thoughts are with his friends, family, and all who loved him.”
American rapper Ty Dolla Sign said he will “miss” Payne, captioning videos and pictures on his Instagram story, “Just talked to you two days ago my guy.”
Payne’s death propelled Britain’s Got Talent to postpone its audition for the show. A spokesperson for the program said, “Due to the tragic passing of Liam Payne, we have decided to postpone the Britain’s Got Talent auditions. Our thoughts are with Liam’s friends, family, and all who loved him.”
Payne rose to fame as part of the One Direction boyband after featuring independently on his lesser-known first audition for The X Factor as a 14-year-old boy. At the time, he impressed judges with his rendition of “Fly Me To The Moon” by Frank Sinatra, but was later eliminated from the show.
He tried again in 2010, where he was then joined up with former bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson, by Simon Cowell and former judge Nicole Scherzinger, who saw their potential as a group.
The group bonded after a few weeks, getting acquainted with each other and non-stop rehearsals before going on to impress Cowell and making it to the live show. It was then One Direction was born, however, they only managed to finish third place on The X Factor.
Having sold over 20 million albums and gone on four world tours, amongst other notable feat, the group disbanded in 2016 after Malik left to pursue a solo career.
