Liam Payne, member of One Direction, dies after falling at hotel in Argentina, officials say

Liam Payne, a member of British pop band One Direction, died Wednesday at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina, local authorities said.

Sistema de Atencion Medica de Emergencia said in a statement to Telemundo that Payne fell from the balcony in Palermo.

Police “were directed to the hotel by a 911 call reporting an aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” the emergency services agency, known as SAME, said. The agency confirmed Payne’s death, it said.

The English singer was one of four members of One Direction, famous for such hits as “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Story Of My Life.”

The group, which also includes Niall Horan, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, has been on an indefinite hiatus since 2016.

One Direction formed in 2010 after appearing on the TV show “The X Factor.”

The band, also known as 1D, sold more than 50 million records, and in 2014, it became the first group to have its first four albums debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, according to Billboard.

Payne signed with Republic Records in 2016 after One Direction went on hiatus, joining others who launched solo careers after the band, including Styles.

Payne went into rehab after a 2022 appearance on the Logan Paul podcast in which he was critical of One Direction and former member Zayn Malik.

Payne said in a July 8, 2023, video uploaded to YouTube that he was sober and a better dad. He said he hadn’t had a drink in six months.

“In fact, it’s probably one of those life-changing moments that saved my life in a way,” Payne said of the podcast.

Payne was a father to a toddler son named Bear.