The remaining members of British boyband One Direction have broken their silence over the death of Liam Payne.
Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik said they were “completely devastated by the news”.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Liam Payne’s cause of death revealed.
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“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. – Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry.”
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Louis Tomlinson also released a statement individually with a photo of the pair together on tour.
“I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother. Liam was somebody I looked up to every day, such a positive, funny, and kind soul,” he began. “I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18, I was instantly amazed by his voice but more importantly as time went on I got a chance to see the kind brother I’d longed all my life for. “Liam was an incredible songwriter with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band. “And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction.
“His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam.”
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He went on to address Payne directly.
“I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye,” Tomlinson said.
“I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life.
“I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.
He referred to Payne’s seven-year-old son Bear, writing that “if Bear ever needs me I will be the uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was. “I wish I got the chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you. “Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well X,” his message ended.
Payne rose to fame alongside Horan, Styles, Malik and Tomlinson as part of the British-Irish boy band sensation One Direction.
They formed on The X Factor UK in 2010 and went on to become one of the biggest selling boy bands of all time.
The group enjoyed monumental success, with hits including What Makes You Beautiful, Story of My Life, and Drag Me Down.
They earned countless awards and sold millions of albums worldwide before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.
Liam Payne dies in Argentina
Reuters was first to report the news that the singer fell from the third floor of CasaSur Palmero Hotel shortly after 5pm local time on Wednesday.
Local reporters cited emergency services.
According to La Nacion the local police station was called by the hotel manager who reported “an aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”.
The fall was reportedly 13m to 14m and Payne suffered “very serious injuries incompatible with life”.
The head of local emergency services SAME (El Sistema de Atención Médica de Emergencias, Alberto Crescent said in a televised statement in Argentina: “At 17.04, through 911, the integrated public security system, we were alerted about a person who was in an internal courtyard of the Casa Sur hotel.
“At 17.11, a SAME team arrived and confirmed the man’s death. We later learned that he was a singer in a musical group.
“Unfortunately, he had injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall, so we had to confirm his death. There was no possibility of resuscitation.”
Fans have gathered and emergency services can be seen outside the hotel, where a red tent is set up around the scene. Investigations are ongoing.
After years of success with One Direction, Payne embarked on a solo career, releasing singles such as Strip That Down and Stack It Up.
He is father to seven-year-old son, Bear, whom he shares with singer Cheryl Cole.