One Direction star Liam Payne (31) found dead in Buenos Aires

Former One Direction singer Liam Payne died outside a hotel in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, local media reported on Wednesday, saying the 31-year-old British musician was found dead after falling from the hotel's third floor.

Citing officials, leading local newspapers La Nacion and Clarin reported that police were called to the hotel in the capital's leafy Palermo neighborhood responding to an emergency call that cited "an aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol."

Ambulance workers later confirmed the death of the singer, who was found in an interior hotel patio, according to the news reports.

Liam Payne rose to global fame as part of the since-disbanded pop band One Direction, alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.

The boy band got its start after finishing third on the British version of the X Factor music competition show in 2010, but the group broke up in 2016 as its members pursued different projects including solo careers.

Payne released his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019 which included the singles Polaroid and Familiar.

He and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl share a son Bear, born in 2017, having been in a high-profile relationship between 2016 and 2018. - Reuters