Former One Direction member Liam Payne dies: what is known about the tragedy

18 October 05:27

British musician, former member of the One Direction band Liam Payne tragically died on 16 October in a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He fell from a third-floor balcony, sustaining life-threatening injuries, Komersant UkrainianKomersant Ukrainian reports citing the BBC.

According to the DailyMail, Liam Payne arrived in Argentina earlier this month to attend a concert by his former bandmate, Niall Horan. Payne was staying at the Casa Sur Palmero hotel in the Argentine capital, where the incident occurred.

What could have caused the death of the star?

The police reported that on Wednesday, 16 October, officers received information about an “aggressive man who may have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol”, and immediately went to the hotel. At 17:04, the local police received a report that a wounded man with multiple injuries was lying in the hotel’s courtyard, and at 17:11, an ambulance arrived at the scene and pronounced the man dead.

Alberto Crescenti, a representative of the city’s ambulance service, said that Liam Payne had fallen from a height of approximately 40 metres and suffered injuries incompatible with life. According to him, despite the rapid arrival of the ambulance, it was impossible to resuscitate him, so the doctors could only pronounce him dead.

What is Liam Payne famous for?

Liam Payne gained fame as a member of One Direction after auditioning for the X Factor in 2010. Together with Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, the band became an international sensation, and their debut single “What Makes You Beautiful” topped the charts around the world.

In five years, the band released five albums, won numerous awards and sold more than 50 million records before going on indefinite hiatus in 2015.

In 2019, Payne released his first solo album, LP1, which featured the hit single “Strip That Down”, co-written with Ed Sheeran. Throughout his solo career, Payne has collaborated with such well-known artists as J Balvin, French Montana, and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie.

The last moments of Payne’s life

A few hours before his death, Payne was active on social media. His last Snapchat post showed him posing with his partner Kate Cassidy in a photo taken last August. In other posts, Payne enjoyed a meal in his hotel room and shared his Halloween plans. In a touching post, he described the day as “wonderful” and expressed his satisfaction with his stay in Argentina, ending the post with a heart emoji.

Liam Payne’s untimely death shocked both his colleagues in the music industry and millions of his fans around the world. Immediately after the tragedy, a crowd of fans gathered outside the hotel to pay their respects, and local authorities launched an investigation into the circumstances of Payne’s death.

The author: Olya Yushko

Дзвенислава Карплюк
Editor