The hotel where Liam Payne fell to his death has been raided by police following the shocking incident, which rocked the music world.
Argentinian authorities raided the now infamous CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires on Wednesday night under orders from the public prosecutors’ office, a government official reportedly told the Associated Press on Thursday (24 October).
The former One Direction band member was staying at the hotel before dying after a fall from a third-floor balcony on Wednesday (16 October) last week.
Payne was just 31 at the time of his death (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Payne was in the South American city to watch former bandmate Niall Horan’s concert, and was there with his social media influencer girlfriend, Kate Cassidy.
She had travelled back to the US days before Payne’s death, as authorities would confirm his death after the fall into the hotel’s courtyard.
A preliminary post-mortem revealed that the singer had died due to ”internal and external haemorrhaging’ from injuries sustained from the fall.
Statements from celebrities came flooding in, including ones from all of his former One Direction bandmates in addition to a joint one, while his family also issued an emotional statement following his passing.
It read: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.
“We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
The hotel that Payne was staying at, has been raided (Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Atlantis The Royal)
But on Wednesday night, a police special investigations unit went to the CasaSur hotel and seized items such as computer hard drives and footage from hotel cameras, a government official told AP.
They have remained anonymous as they are not permitted to speak publicly on the situation yet.
Payne’s final autopsy results are yet to be released, as definitive results are not expected to be made public for a number of weeks.
Local fans have made their way to the CasaSur hotel in recent days, as it has become the place for One Direction fans to pay respects to the late star, with glowers, candles and photos left at the entrance in honour of Payne.
Geoff Payne, his father, is in the Argentinian capital to arrange the repatriation of his son’s body, which is expected to be released to the UK around 28 October, according to AP.
He was best known for being part of the ultra successful boy band, One Direction (Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
Following the tragic news, his former One Direction band members released a heartfelt statement, writing on social media: The former band members’ statement reads: “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. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.
“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.
“For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us.
“We will miss him terribly.
“We love you Liam.”
