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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Liam Payne death: Police in Argentina seize items in raid on Buenos Aires hotel where One Direction star died

Argentinian police have raided the Buenos Aires hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne died this month after falling from a third-floor balcony.

A police special investigations unit went to the Casa Sur hotel on Wednesday night on orders from the public prosecutors' office.

Officers seized items including computer hard drives and footage from hotel cameras, a government official told The Associated Press.

The singer died on October 16 after falling from the third-floor balcony in the upmarket Palermo district.

According to the post-mortem examination, Payne died from multiple injuries as well as internal and external bleeding caused by the fall. His body was found in the hotel's internal courtyard.

Initial investigations suggest that the musician was alone and experiencing a "breakdown" after consumption of substances that have not yet been determined.

Following Payne's death, police found substances in his hotel room, as well as destroyed objects and furniture, according to the public prosecutors' office.

Police and firefighter at Casa Sur hotel where former One Direction member Liam Payne died (Getty Images)

The boyband star had cocaine in his system, according to a preliminary toxicology report published by local press on Monday. Definitive results are not expected to be made public for several weeks.

The Casa Sur hotel has become a place for Payne's fans to pay their respects. They have left flowers, candles and photos of the singer in a makeshift shrine around a tree at the hotel's entrance.

The singer's father, Geoff Payne, is in Buenos Aires arranging the repatriation of his son's body, which is expected to be released around Monday (October 28).

Payne's family - which includes his mother Karen Payne and his two sisters Ruth and Nicola - have expressed their devastation over the loss, as have his former bandmates. Artists and celebrities from various countries continue to share their grief.

His sister Nicola said in an emotional tribute he was an “angel who just lived for making people smile and happy”, while his sister Ruth called him “the best brother and friend” and said: “I don’t feel this world was good enough or kind enough to you”.

On Thursday, Payne’s devastated girlfriend of two years, Kate Cassidy - who had been in Argentina with the singer until two days before his death - shared a new statement after his shock death.

"My heart is shattered in ways I can't put into words,” she wrote.

"I wish you could see the huge impact you've had on the world, even as it feels so dark right now.

Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy revealed they had intended to get married (Instagram @kateecass)

"You brought so much happiness and positivity to everyone - millions of fans, your family, friends, and especially me.”

She revealed she and Payne had planned to get married.

“A few weeks ago, we sat outside on a beautiful evening manifesting our lives together,” she added.

"I keep your note close, even though you told me not to look at it. It said 'me and Kate to marry within a year/engaged & together forever 444'.

"Liam, I know we'll be together forever, but not in the way we had planned. You'll always be with me. I've gained a guardian angel."

One Direction was among the most successful boy bands of recent times. It announced an indefinite hiatus in 2016 and Payne - like his former bandmates Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson - pursued a solo career.

The singer had posted on his Snapchat account that he travelled to Argentina to attend Horan's concert in Buenos Aires on October 2.

He shared videos of himself dancing with his girlfriend, American influencer Cassidy, and singing along in the stands. Cassidy had left Argentina after the show but Payne stayed behind.

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