Crowd of fans gather outside Buenos Aires hotel following death of Liam Payne

BUENOS AIRES: A crowd has gathered outside the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead on Wednesday (Oct 16), Reuters reports.

Reuters reporters at the scene saw crowds gathering outside the hotel, where dozens of police and emergency services teams had cordoned off an area as night fell on the city.

One 25-year-old fan, Yamila Zacarias, said her family had made a lot of effort so she could see One Direction when they came to Argentina, but she had decided not to go as her parents didn't have much money then.

"He meant a lot to me because the band came into my life at this time when you're trying to be a part of something, and being a One Direction fan became that something for me," she said. "This was the only time I could applaud him."

Violeta Antier, another fan, told Reuters she had come straight away after her sister told her Payne had died.

"I saw him two weeks ago at a Niall (Horan) concert, another One Direction member. He was there, I saw him. He was ok," she said.

The "For You" singer 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.

One Direction was ranked the third best boy band ever by Entertainment Weekly in 2024. The group won dozens of major awards and sold some 70 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Payne's One Direction and solo career helped garner him a net worth of some $70 million.

Payne had on Oct. 2 attended the Buenos Aires concert of his former bandmate Niall Horan on the Argentine leg of a Latin American tour that spanned Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Colombia. The two had posted videos together and with fans.

Payne, who co-wrote many One Direction songs including "Night Changes" and "Story of my Life", had previously spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health and using alcohol to cope with the pressures of fame.

Last year he published a video to fans on his YouTube channel in which he spoke about his family, making new art and performing again after having given up alcohol. He thanked supporters for sticking with him through difficult times.

Earlier on Wednesday, Payne had appeared to post on Snapchat about his trip in Argentina, talking about riding horses, playing polo, and looking forward to returning home to see his dog.

"It's a lovely day here in Argentina," he said in the video. - Reuters