Liam Payne's One Direction bandmates have said they are "completely devastated" and will miss the singer "terribly"
Payne, 31, died after falling from the third floor of a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires
A statement signed by Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan said: "We're completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing"
"In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say," the statement continues
Payne's family have said they are "heartbroken", adding: "Liam will forever live in our hearts and we'll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul"
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Watch: Liam Payne's career highlights - from fresh-faced X Factor star to solo artist
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesA forensic worker at the Casa Sur hotel where Liam Payne died
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesPolice officers stand guard at the entrance of the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesFans have gathered on the street near to the hotel
We take a look back at moments from the former One Direction turned solo artist's career.
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Image source, PA MediaOne Direction (l to r) Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik arrive for an autograph signing session at the HMV store, Bradford in 2010
Sofea Aznidi was 10 years old when One Direction formed on X Factor. She later set up a social media fan page dedicated to Payne.
Reacting to his death, she tells the BBC: "Every teenage girl had a crush on One Direction, had an obsession with One Direction."
She says the band "made music that just resonated with every age group".
"They were very relatable as well," she says, adding that Payne was "a very good vocalist".
"His solo parts were very iconic," she says.
German music producer Zedd who worked on the song 'Get Low' with Payne in 2017 has paid tribute to the former One Direction star in a post on X.
"RIP Liam… I can’t believe this is real… absolutely heartbreaking," he said.
"Life is short and fragile… You never know what people are going through. We live in times where being rude, divisive and mean is normal; sometimes even celebrated. It doesn’t have to be this way. We should do our best to be kind, supportive and mindful," he added in a separate post.
In posts to social media platform Snapchat in the days before his death, Liam Payne talked about riding horses, playing polo and watching his former bandmate Niall Horan perform live in Buenos Aires.
Videos he shared from the concert on 2 October show him dancing with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, waving to fans in the crowds, and singing along to One Direction's old hits.
He posted a selfie with Horan, and spoke about how proud he was of the Slow Hands singer.
Image source, ReutersTributes have been pouring in for former One Direction star Liam Payne, following news of his death in Argentina on Wednesday.
If you're just joining us, here's what we know so far:
Singer Olly Murs, who starred on talent show the X Factor a year before One Direction, says he's "lost for words" following Payne’s death.
"We always had a good laugh when we saw each other, sometimes the catch ups were only short and sweet but when we did it was mostly about how annoyingly good his hair always looked, or our love for Becks, the old XF (X Factor) days and the tour we shared together,” Murs writes on Instagram.
Quote MessageLiam shared the same passions as me, the same dreams so to see his life now end so young hits hard, I'm truly gutted and devastated for his family and of course his son Bear losing a dad."
Payne and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl share a son Bear, born in 2017. The couple split in 2018.
The mother of Payne's One Direction bandmate Harry Styles has shared a tribute to him, posting, "Just a boy..." alongside a picture of a broken heart, on her Instagram account.
Styles and Payne, along with Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan, made up the group that was formed on the X Factor talent show in 2010.
Ione Wells
South America correspondent
Image source, ReutersOutside the Casa Sur hotel where Liam Payne was found dead on Wednesday evening, gathered fans held an impromptu vigil.
Crying and hugging, they lit candles and softly sung One Direction songs. They held a moment of silence, before clapping.
Some spoke of their shock at finding out the news, and shared their memories of the 31-year-old.
"It's quite distressing," one fan, Rosario, told the BBC.
“It still hasn’t hit me, everything that’s happening doesn’t seem real," Letizia said.
Marina said she felt compelled to come and pay her respects because of how much Payne and One Direction meant to her during her adolescence.
"I felt that it was necessary because he was a part of my childhood... All my friends and I were big fans of One Direction, it left its mark on us.
"The news was very sad."
Posting a series of photos and videos to Instagram, US musician Charlie Puth has expressed his "shock" and grief.
"Liam was always so kind to me. He was one of the first major artists I got to work with. I cannot believe he is gone.
"I'm so upset right now."
The pair worked together on Payne's 2017 single Bedroom Floor.
Image source, Getty ImagesPayne and Puth pictured together in 2017
Ian Youngs
Entertainment and Arts Reporter, BBC News
Liam Payne first registered on the pop radar as a fresh-faced 14-year-old, trying out for The X Factor in 2008.
"I should really be concentrating on my [school] work but I just think about singing too much," he said before his first audition, his Wolverhampton accent and thick fringe front and centre.
"It's a dream and I'd love to do it."
Over the next couple of years, he went on to achieve that dream - touring the world, winning awards and topping the charts with boyband One Direction, before undertaking a solo career after the group split in 2016.
A number of industry bodies have joined friends and fans in posting tributes to the 31-year-old.
Streaming giant Spotify, MTV and the Brit Awards all say in separate statements they are "deeply saddened" by Payne's death.
"Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all those who love his music," Amazon Music also said, in a post to X, alongside a black-and-white picture of the star.
Max George from boyband the Wanted says he's "devastated" after hearing the news of Liam Payne's death.
Payne was "unbelievably supportive during one of the most difficult times in my life. I will never forget that," he posted on X.
Max George's bandmate Tom Parker died in 2022 after being diagnosed with brain cancer, and Payne attended his funeral.
"My thoughts are with his family, friends and fans at this horrendous time. Rest in peace Liam," he added.
Image source, ReutersFans have been gathering outside the hotel where Liam Payne was found dead
Image source, ReutersPolice have been standing watch at the scene
Image source, ReutersSome fans lit candles
One woman cried as she explained why she had come to the hotel on hearing of the news of Liam Payne's death:
"They [One Direction] won't get back together and he didn't release anything else," she told Reuters in Spanish.
"We won't see him again, it was the only way we had of remembering him. He won't be here anymore, what will we do now? My God, this can't be."
Asked if she was nearby when she heard the news she replied: "No I came here because this is the only way I have to say goodbye to him. But no, I live very far away."
We've seen footage of crowds gathering outside the hotel where Payne was found dead.
One fan, Violeta Antier, told Reuters why she rushed to the location after hearing the news.
"I was in my living room and my sister told me 'Liam died'. We couldn’t believe it, we came here directly to confirm it was true," she said, speaking in Spanish.
"I saw him two weeks ago at a Niall (Horan) concert, another One Direction member."
We take a look back at moments from the former One Direction turned solo artist's career.
TV presenter Dermot O'Leary says he remembers Payne as 14-year-old auditioning for The X Factor.
He writes on Instagram:
Quote MessageThe worst news. I remember him as a 14 year old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing. He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble. Sending love and prayers to his family. Dx"
In a one-line statement, the UK Foreign Office says: "We are in contact with the local authorities regarding reports of the death of a British man in Argentina."
Argentinian police have confirmed Liam Payne was found dead earlier today after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires.
Ione Wells
South America correspondent
Image source, ReutersCrowds of people have gathered outside the hotel where Liam Payne fell from a balcony.
He, and his former band One Direction, have many fans here in South America.
In 2014, the band’s "Where We Are" tour kicked off in South America. They played in Bogotá, Lima, Santiago, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro as well as two nights in both São Paulo and Buenos Aires.
The tour was the highest grossing tour of 2014, and the band’s most highly attended tour - attracting millions of fans.
Many of the group's fans grew up with Liam and his band mates. They shot to fame when Liam Payne was just 16, and he died at 31. A lot of his fans who have known him since the beginning will be a similar age - making it all the more shocking.
One Direction was one of the biggest bands of the 2010s, the BBC's Music Correspondent Mark Savage told Radio 5 Live a short while ago.
They sold 70 million records, with songs that everybody will know - like What Makes You Beautiful, Story of My Life, and Best Song Ever - dominating air waves.
"Liam was a key part of that band. He helped to write a lot of their songs, and of course, he had a very successful solo career after One Direction split," Savage says.
"[He had] several other high-profile singles, and was supposedly making music as recently as last month.
"So very much cut off in his prime."