Ex-One Direction member, Liam Payne, passes away at 31

Liam Payne, a former member of the popular English-Irish boy band One Direction, has tragically passed away at the age of 31.

Payne died on Wednesday in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after falling from the third floor of a hotel, according to local newspaper La Nacion and CNN reports.

Authorities are investigating whether the fall from the Casa Sur hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood was accidental or a possible suicide.

The Buenos Aires Times reported that Payne’s body was discovered in the hotel’s internal courtyard after a fall of about 13 to 14 metres.

The musician, who had arrived in Argentina on September 30, 2024, to attend a concert by former bandmate Niall Horan at the Movistar Arena on October 2, was staying in room 10 on the third floor of the hotel.

Local police responded to a call earlier in the day about a man exhibiting aggressive behaviour, possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found Payne’s body, and paramedics confirmed that the 31-year-old had succumbed to his injuries.

Alberto Crescenti, head of the local emergency services, stated that Payne had sustained severe injuries, including a skull fracture, making it impossible to save him.

Payne first gained fame as a member of One Direction, formed in 2010 on the UK reality show The X Factor.

The group went on hiatus in 2015, after which Payne launched a successful solo career, releasing his debut album LP1 in 2019 and Teardrops in March 2024.

He is survived by his son, born in 2017 with former Girls Aloud member Cheryl Cole.

ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE 

• Alleged bribe: Falz gives Bobrisky 12 hours to apologise, retract defamatory statement

• Why ships avoid Niger Delta ports — Shippers’ Council

• Keyamo to Foreign Airlines: Warming frozen foods for Nigerians no longer acceptable

• The president is missing

• Our fresh position on nationwide strike – ASUU

• Aftermath of Supreme Court ruling: How Nigerian states raced to conduct LG polls