Singer Liam Payne dies after fall from Buenos Aires hotel room balcony

British singer Liam Payne has died after falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires. He was 31.

Payne rose to global fame as part of the now-disbanded pop band One Direction.

Hotel had called police for safety of guest

Argentine police said on Wednesday (October 16) that they got a call from the hotel in Palermo about an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol”.

“When he is conscious, he is destroying the entire room and we need you to send someone,” the hotel worker reportedly told the police, adding that the guest’s life was at risk because the room had a balcony.

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When the police reached the hotel, the manager reportedly told them that they had heard a loud noise at the back of the hotel. Police found Payne in the interior patio, below the balcony of his room, they said.

Battle with mental health issues

The For You singer had been known to speak openly about his mental health issues and alcohol abuse to cope with the pressures of fame.

On October 2, he had attended a concert of his former bandmate Niall Horan in Buenos Aires and they had posted videos together and with fans.

Payne, who co-wrote several One Direction songs, including Night Changes and Story of my Life, rose to global fame as part of One Direction, alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Horan.

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The boy band, which started in 2010, broke up in 2016 as its members pursued different career paths. It won dozens of awards and sold around 70 million records worldwide. Payne himself had a net worth of some $70 million.