Emotional statement

One Direction devastated by Liam’s death

After Liam Payne's death, the band members were shocked.

(Bild: APA/AP Photo/Jonathan Short, File)

Following the tragic death of boy band One Direction member Liam Payne, the group has now also spoken out, completely devastated. The 31-year-old was recently killed in a fall from a hotel room in the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires.

"We are completely devastated by Liam's death," read a joint statement from Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan.

"We love you, Liam"
The four pop stars wrote in a message on Instagram that they now needed time to come to terms with "the loss of our brother". "We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam," they added.

(Bild: instagram.com/onedirection)

"Truly devastated"
"Harry Styles said in a separate post that he was "truly devastated by Liam's passing". "His greatest joy was making other people happy and it was an honor to be by his side," the pop star emphasized on his Instagram account.

Liam "wore his heart on his sleeve", he "had a life energy that was infectious". Styles emphasized that he will "always miss" his "dear friend" Paynes.

"Lost a brother"
Zayn Malik also spoke out on his profile. He said he had "never thanked you for supporting me during some of the most difficult times in my life", such as when he was terribly homesick at the age of 17. 

"I lost a brother when you left us, and I can't put into words what I would give to be able to hug you again and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you with all my heart," Malik said. 

"Looked up to him"
He had "lost a brother", wrote Louis Tomlinson in his touching message on Payne's death. "Liam was someone I looked up to every day, such a positive, funny and kind soul."

He had been "very lucky" to "have had you in my life, but the thought of saying goodbye is really hard for me", the singer continued. And promised that if Payne's son Bear "ever needs me, I'll be the uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories about how great his dad was".

Fall from balcony
The British singer died of polytrauma and bleeding after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires. This was the result of the autopsy, the public prosecutor's office announced. Further investigations are being carried out to confirm evidence of drug and alcohol consumption before the fall. According to the police, all indications are that the former member of the boy band OneDirection was alone in his room when he fell from the balcony.

The terrace of the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Luis ROBAYO)

Chaos in the musician's room puzzles
Argentinian police found the musician's room in "complete chaos" during a search following his death, the authorities said in a statement on Thursday. A bottle of whiskey, a lighter and a cell phone were seized in the courtyard of the hotel where Payne had fallen. In the room of the luxury hotel in the trendy Palermo district, police said they found over-the-counter medication and a tranquilizer. "There was complete disorder on entering, various things were broken," they said.

A hotel employee had previously called the emergency services because of a rioting guest. The employee stated that he feared for the man's life.

Fans pull out their smartphones at the vigil.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Yuri CORTEZ)

Vigil in front of the hotel
After the news of the death broke, fans gathered for a candlelight vigil in front of the hotel. Payne had become a star as a member of OneDirection ("What Makes You Beautiful"). The boyband celebrated several years of international success since their formation on the casting show "The X-Factor" in 2010. They put the collaboration on ice in 2016. What was initially intended to be a one-year break continues to this day.

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