Former One Direction singer Liam Payne has died from multiple injuries sustained in a fall, which resulted in both internal and external hemorrhaging, preliminary autopsy results have confirmed.
The 31-year-old British artist plunged from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel in Argentina's capital on the afternoon of the incident. Emergency medical services reported that he was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after the fall.
Two forensic pathologists, Santiago Maffia Bizzozero and Victor Roberto Cohen, conducted the post-mortem examination in Buenos Aires and determined the cause of death. Further tests are being carried out to investigate whether drugs or alcohol may have contributed to the circumstances surrounding Payne's death.
The autopsy took place at a city morgue located a short drive from the hotel, where Payne fell around 5 PM local time. According to Alberto Crescenti, director of Argentina's emergency medical response service SAME, Payne suffered severe injuries, including a fractured skull. He stated that the injuries were "incompatible with life," and that the singer was deceased when paramedics arrived.
Payne's identity was confirmed through his passport, but authorities are still investigating the exact circumstances of his fall. He fell from a balcony overlooking an interior pool and a Michelin-star restaurant, landing in the courtyard below.
Forensic teams were seen examining the balcony and the suite from which he fell, while a red tent was erected over the area where he died. The courtyard is adjacent to the swimming pool and outdoor dining area of the hotel's Sarco restaurant, which was closed at the time of the incident.
Payne had been in Argentina earlier this month to attend a concert by his former bandmate Niall Horan, accompanied by his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, who left two days prior to the incident. Around the same time, his ex-fiancée Maya Henry reportedly issued a cease and desist letter, accusing him of persistent communication.
Rising to fame at the age of 16 as a member of One Direction, formed on The X Factor in 2010, Payne's death marks a tragic loss for fans and the music community