Payne's cause of death revealed in initial autopsy

Liam Payne died of multiple traumatic injuries caused by falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, police said yesterday as the One Direction singer’s family said they were “heartbroken” by his death.

- MEREDITH CLARK & ROISIN O'CONNOR

A preliminary autopsy indicated that Payne had suffered “internal and external” haemorrhages and multiple traumatic injuries following his plunge from the balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel. A toxicology report is still pending.

He was pronounced dead after emergency services responded to a hotel manager’s call about an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”.

Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office said it would be investigating the incident as an “inconclusive death”.

The emergency call was made at 5.01pm local time, about 10 minutes before Payne’s death. The hotel told the operator that emergency services were needed “urgently”, noting that the hotel room had a balcony.

“We need you to send us someone urgently because, well, we don’t know if the guest’s life is at risk,” they said. “He is in a room that has a balcony. And well, we’re a bit afraid that he does something that could put his life at risk.”

Alberto Crescenti, head of the local emergency services, told the Buenos Aires Times that “there was no possibility” for first responders to save Payne’s life as he had “very serious injuries”.