One Direction’s Liam Payne died from fall injuries: Police

BUENOS AIRES - Liam Payne, of popular boy band One Direction, died from multiple injuries sustained when he plunged from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires on Oct 16, police told AFP on Oct 17.

A preliminary autopsy showed the 31-year-old singer had suffered “internal and external bleeding” and “died from the fall”, a police source said.

Argentine police found Payne’s hotel room in Buenos Aires in “total disorder” in a search after his death, the authority said in a statement on Oct 17, with various things broken and medications scattered around.

Payne’s death triggered an outpouring of tributes from fans.

While details surrounding his death remain unclear, Payne had spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health and using alcohol to cope with the pressures of fame.

The city police said in a statement that in the atrium of the hotel where Payne had fallen they had found a bottle of whiskey, a lighter and a cell phone. They said they had taken fingerprints from those items.

In the room of the luxury hotel in the trendy Palermo district of the city, the police said they found over-the-counter medications, energy packs and anxiety drug Clonazepam.

“Upon entering, total disorder was observed, with various elements broken,” the police said in a statement, adding they had taken more fingerprints and other evidence to be analysed in the labs, as well as a notebook and passport.

“The balcony area was inspected in order to establish access to it,” the police force added.

Before the fall, a hotel employee at the CasaSur hotel in the leafy neighbourhood of Palermo called emergency services, asking for help with a guest who he said was trashing his room and appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, an audio obtained from the Buenos Aires security ministry showed.

“We have a guest who is intoxicated by drugs and alcohol. And, well, he’s ... When he’s conscious, he breaks, he’s breaking the whole room. And, well, we need you to send someone, please,” the hotel worker told police in the 911 call.

The hotel employee also said he was afraid the guest’s life was at risk.

“We need you to send someone urgently because, well, I don’t know if the guest’s life is at risk. He is in a room with a balcony. And, well, we are a little afraid that he will do something that will put his life at risk.”

Here is the full transcript of that call, translated by Reuters from the original Spanish. The Buenos Aires security ministry confirmed to Reuters that the call related to Payne.

911 call transcript

- Good afternoon, an emergency.

- Hello, good morning. I just called, I got disconnected. I'm calling from CasaSur Palermo hotel, Costa Rica 6032.

- What’s going on at the hotel, sir?

- Well, we have a guest who is intoxicated by drugs and alcohol. And, well, he’s... When he’s conscious, he breaks, he’s breaking the whole room. And, well, we need you to send someone, please.

- Under the influence of alcohol and drugs, right, sir?

- Yes, that’s correct.

- You told me Costa Rica, what number, sir? Excuse me.

- Costa Rica 6032.

- This is in the capital (Buenos Aires), right? Between Arevalo and Cramer.

- Yes.

- Where is the hotel? What’s the name of the hotel?

- CasaSur Palermo. And we need you to send someone urgently because, well, I don’t know if the guest’s life is at risk. He is in a room with a balcony. And, well, we are a little afraid that he will do something that will put his life at risk.

- How long has he been there or is it a residential hotel?

- No, no, he has been here for two or three days.

- I understand. There is no information because they cannot enter any more?

- No.

- Should we notify the Same (Sistema de Atención Médica de Emergencia - a free public medical care service for urgent matters and emergencies in the city of Buenos Aires) staff as well?

- Yes, what I ask you is that someone comes urgently because, well...

- In the call they’ve been notified (the Same). Any more information to give to us? Who are you? The person in charge?

- I am the head of reception.

- Would you be the person in charge of the place, right?

- Yes, yes.

- It has already been noted. What is your name, sir?

- Esteban.

- It has been notified. Please wait for the police.

- OK.

- Thank you for contacting us. You can release the line.

- Do they send the police too or not?

- The police of the commune, yes, give me a second to... Commune 14 and Same?

- No, no, no. Only Same. Only Same.

- I understand. Don’t worry, that was notified anyway.

- OK, perfect. Well, thank you very much.

- Since you tell me that he is under the influence of alcohol and drugs, Same won’t come in alone.

- Doesn’t Same come in alone?

- No.

- OK.

- It is still notified. When the police arrives, you explain to them and if it’s required the Same presence, they will call them.

- Good, OK. Perfect.

- It has already been notified anyway. Have a nice day, sir.

- Good, thank you. Likewise. REUTERS, AFP