Liam Payne penned One Direction hits

Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, was found dead outside a hotel in Buenos Aires after he fell from his third-floor room balcony, Argentine police said on Oct 16.

In a statement, the police said they were called to the hotel in the capital's leafy Palermo neighbourhood, where they were notified of an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol”.

The hotel manager said he heard a loud noise at the back of the hotel, and when the police arrived, they found that a man had fallen over the balcony in his room, the statement said.

Emergency workers confirmed the death of the British singer, who was reportedly found on the hotel's interior patio.

“I am in shock right now. Liam was always so kind to me,” American singer Charlie Puth said on Instagram. “He was one of the first major artistes I got to work with. I cannot believe he is gone.”

US music channel MTV, streaming service Spotify and the Brit Awards expressed grief on social media, sending their condolences to his family and loved ones.

Neither Payne’s record label Republic Records, nor its owner Universal Music Group, could immediately be reached for comment.

Police had received a call from a worker at the hotel requesting urgent help with an intoxicated guest, according to audio related to the case, obtained from the Buenos Aires security ministry.

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

Emergency responders removed the body from the hotel to take it to the morgue, while fans and onlookers who had gathered through the early evening, some hugging one another and crying, burst into applause.