A preliminary autopsy report confirms that the 31-year-old former One Direction star Liam Payne passed away from ‘polytrauma’ and ‘an internal and external hemorrhage.’
Polytrauma means injuries on multiple body parts or organs as a result of blast-related events like car accidents or homicide attempts.
On October 16, 2024, the singer lost his life due to the fatal injuries he suffered after falling from the balcony of the third-floor room of a hotel he was staying in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
According to reports, he sustained a total of 25 injuries, with significant damage to his brain and skull, resembling those typically caused by a fall from a height. So, severe internal and external bleeding in his skull, chest, abdomen, and limbs eventually led the singer to his demise.
An autopsy found One Direction star Liam Payne suffered a fractured skull and multiple traumas in a three-story fall from his hotel room balcony. There's speculation the 31-year-old singer may have attempted to leap into the hotel's pool. pic.twitter.com/bULvloMnKi
— Inside Edition (@InsideEdition) October 17, 2024
The prosecutor’s office in Argentina released the preliminary autopsy report suggesting Liam Payne was alone and under the influence of substances when he fell.
Autopsy also reported that there were no signs of defensive wounds on his hands, meaning no intervention from any third party.
Furthermore, the report suggested, considering his body position, that he did not adopt a reflexive posture during the fall, which means he could have fallen in a state of semi or total unconsciousness.
Besides that, the prosecutor’s office stated they are yet to perform additional studies to check whether there was alcohol or drugs in Liam Payne’s stomach.
Former One Direction members release a joint statement, ‘We will miss him terribly’
Following Liam Payne’s devastating demise, former One Direction members Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson released a statement on the band’s official Instagram account, which had been inactive since 2020.
The statement begins with them saying how they are completely devasted by the untimely demise of their bandmate.
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.
LOuise, Zayn, Niall and Harry
In addition to the joint statement, each took to their own social media and released a separate personal heartfelt tribute.
While Harry said Liam’s demise truly devasted him, Zayn Malik wrote he found himself talking out loud to Liam, hoping he could hear him.
Similarly, Louis Tomlinson also shared his grief, saying he is beyond devasted to be writing the tribute to the brother he lost.
