Liam Payne’s tragic cause of death released as medic describes injuries that were ‘incompatible with life’ after fall

TRAGIC Liam Payne died instantly from multiple injuries including a fractured skull caused by his fall from a third floor hotel balcony.

Buenos Aires emergency services chief Alberto Crescenti said medical teams were unable to save the former One Direction heart-throb when they reached the scene.

Crescenti said: “Our role was to head there quickly, give medical attention, and try to resuscitate him, but his injuries were incompatible with life.

“Based on what the team saw, there was apparently a cranial fracture and extremely serious injuries that led to his immediate death.”

Emergency services confirmed the 31-year-old pop star’s identity by checking his passport.

Crescenti said Liam had fallen into the hotel’s internal patio but declined to comment on reports he may have been drunk or on drugs.

He stressed officials were still awaiting autopsy findings and urged anyone rushing to judgement “to not get ahead of ourselves.”

Hotel staff told police that Liam had checked in alone at the swish Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentinian capital’s trendy Palermo suburb on October 10.

He was understood to be in the city to meet former 1D bandmate Niall Horan who performed at the Movistar Arena.

Liam’s body was removed from the hotel at 8.38 pm local time, more than three hours after his tragic fall.

Pathologists are expected to carry out a post-mortem later today in Buenos Aires to try to start answering questions surrounding the singer's tragic death.

It comes as:

• One Direction fans held candlelit vigils outside the hotel
• The singer posted on Snapchat just minutes before his death
• Rylan Clark and Dermot O'Leary paid tribute to the singer
• His ex-fiancée Maya Henry broke her silence after his death
• Liam's girlfriend Kate Cassidy's message before he died
• Harry Styles' mum pays heartbreaking tribute to the star

Liam's body was taken last night to a city morgue in Viamonte Street, just a 15-minute drive south-west of the boutique hotel.

Pathologists will test for evidence of drink and drug consumption prior to yesterday’s tragedy at the Casa Sur Palermo.

Officials have not said how long the results of the tests will take to come back, but local media are pointing to the wait being 10 to 15 days.

Photos published by several Argentinian newspapers overnight claimed to be of inside Liam’s deluxe suite room show the burnt top of what appeared to be a fizzy drinks can, traces of a white powder and pieces of aluminium foil on a desktop.

A scrunched-up burnt piece of aluminium foil was also pictured in the bathroom.

The screen of a TV in the room had been smashed.

The prosecutor tasked with investigating Liam’s death has been named as Andres Esteban Madrea.

If it is confirmed narcotics were discovered in the singer’s hotel room and could have played a contributory factor in his death, police are expected to try to establish who supplied him with the drugs ahead of a probable prosecution.

It comes as the chilling 911 call made by a frantic hotel manager requesting "urgent" assistance before Liam's death has been revealed.

Argentinian police said they were called to the hotel on Wednesday after staff reported an "aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol".

The head of reception made two calls, telling a 911 operator in the first: "We have a guest who is destroying everything in his room. We need someone to come."

He phoned back after the line went dead, repeating his request and claiming: "We need you to send someone urgently because I don’t know if the guest’s life is in danger.

"They must be in a room that has a balcony. And well, we’re a little bit worried he’ll do something, that he’ll put his life at risk."

Liam had shared a post on Snapchat only minutes before his death showing himself with girlfriend Kate Cassidy looking into a mirror.

Tributes have poured in for the singer with celebrities and fans alike sharing their heartbreak.

Harry Styles' mum shared a heartbreaking tribute on Instagram writing in the caption: "Just a boy…".

And Liam's ex-fiancée Maya Henry was " in shock" in the wake of the tragic news.

Just two days before Liam's tragic fall, Maya made comments on a podcast claiming the star "predicted his early death."

Liam had posted earlier in the day talking about riding horses, playing polo, and looking forward to returning home to see his dog.

Scores of anxious fans have since gathered at the scene and many were in tears as they lit candles and placed mementos and flowers on a shrine at the hotel.

Several weeping fans later began singing the One Direction Ballad, “If I Could Fly” with the line: “If I could fly, I’d be coming right back home to you.”

Heartbreaking hand-written messages, written in Spanish but also in English, have been fixed to a tree outside the Hotel CasaSur Palermo.

At the base of the tree fans have left candles and flowers.

A bouquet of white carnations was decorated with a heart-shaped ornament which said: “Te Amo" - ‘I Love You’ in Spanish.

A handwritten note on a tiny piece of ripped paper pinned to the tree by the flowers said in Spanish: “Thank you for so much Liam. I love you.”

Another above it, also in Spanish, said: “Dear Liam. Many thanks for accompanying us over so many years and helping us in our best and worst moments. We will never forget you.”

The touching message was signed "Milena, Felipe and Dima”.

Another said: “Whoever you are Liam you will always have a piece of my heart with you.

“Fly high. Thanks for so much.”

Below it someone had written on a smaller piece of paper: “Liam you saved my life. You will always be in our hearts. Fly high, our angel.”

Another fan called Mica wrote in her message, which she finished with a heart drawing; “I never thought things would end like this for you.

“I love you and will always love you.

“You were part of my childhood and adolescence and you helped me in my most difficult moments together with the other boys in the band.”