Dozens of people have congregated outside the hotel where former One Direction star Liam Payne was staying in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after he fell to his death
Fans are mourning the sudden loss of former One Direction member Liam Payne, who died unexpectedly on Wednesday. Crowds have flocked to pay their respects near his Buenos Aires hotel, with scenes of devastation unfolding.
Behind police barricades, large numbers of grief-stricken supporters were spotted in front of Casa Sur Hotel in the city’s hip Palermo district. After news broke of the pop icon’s untimely passing, fans swarmed to the location, forcing lines to extend onto the street while officers kept watch.
Many mourners were seen recording this somber moment on their phones. “I didn’t think he was going to die so young,” 21-year-old Isabella Milesi shared in disbelief with The Associated Press, as dozens consoled each other outside on the restricted road.
Meanwhile, a forensic team was observed leaving the hotel where Liam’s body was reported to be that evening.
Payne was part of the quintet that made up One Direction, skyrocketed to fame in 2010 on “The X Factor” in the UK.
After each singer failed to make it through the competition as solo acts, Simon Cowell and his fellow judges combined Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson into what would become one of the most successful boy bands – even though they lost the competition. The band became known for their pop sound and romantic hits like “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life,” reports the Mirror.
They had six Top 10 hits on the Billboard charts by the time they disbanded in 2016. They had a loyal fan base, many of whom were teen girls, who became known as “Directioners.”
“I’ve always loved One Direction since I was little. To see that he died and that there will never be another reunion of the boys is unbelievable, it kills me,” said 18-year-old Juana Relh, another fan outside the Buenos Aires hotel. Police said in a statement that Liam fell from the third floor of the hotel, which resulted in “extremely serious injuries.”
His body was found in an internal patio of the hotel and medics confirmed his death on the spot, the statement said.
City ambulance service provider spokesman Alberto Crescenti said he had fallen around 40 feet and suffered “severe injuries which were incompatible with life.”
He said: “The alarm was raised at 5:04pm local time saying a person was lying in an internal patio at Casa Sur.”
“At 5:11pm, an ambulance arrived and the man was certified dead. Afterwards we found out he had been a famous singer. Unfortunately the injuries he had suffered as a result of the fall proved to be fatal. There was no possibility of resuscitating him.”
