Topics: Liam Payne, US News, UK News, Music, News
Authorities have declared that Liam Payne's toxicology report is not yet complete, and that the One Direction star's body will have to remain in Argentina.
The singer, 31, died in the South American capital of Buenos Aires last week after he fell from the third floor balcony of the hotel he was staying at.
Payne had been visiting Argentina to attend the concert of his former bandmate Niall Horan, and was staying at the Casa Sur hotel with girlfriend Kate Cassidy, who had left to go to her home in Florida in the days prior to the tragic event.
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Andrés Esteban Madrea - a representative of the official Argentine authorities - has since spoken to his father, Geoff Payne, Sky News reports.
Madrea informed Mr Payne that due to toxicology and histopathological exams not being completed, he cannot yet take his son's body home to the UK.
The preliminary autopsy results into the death of the father-of-one - who shares eight-year-old son Bear with ex-girlfriend and former X Factor co-star Cheryl Cole - showed last week that Payne had died from multiple injuries sustained in his fall.
These led to 'internal and external haemorrhaging', it was confirmed.
Forensic pathologists Santiago Maffia Bizzozero and Victor Roberto Cohen reached their initial conclusions following a post mortem today at a city morgue.
Police originally said they'd received an emergency call informing them of 'an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol', who later transpired to be musician Payne.
Alberto Crescenti - the head of the state emergency medical system - previously said on Argentina's Todo Noticias TV channel that the singer had fallen from his hotel room into a courtyard.
Crescenti said in a statement: "At 17.04 through the 911 integrated public safety system, we were alerted of a person who was in an internal courtyard of the management of a south house hotel.
"At 17.11 a SAME team arrived and verified the death of this man and later we found out that he was a singer in a musical group. Unfortunately, he had injuries that were incompatible with life, as a result of his fall, so we had to confirm his death, there was no possibility of resuscitation."
Payne's family have since issued a statement about his death, saying they are 'heartbroken'.
"Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul," the statement said.
They added: "We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time."
Other tributes have since been pouring in, with One Direction saying in a joint statement that they felt ‘completely devastated’ by the news.
Payne's ex-partner Cheryl also spoke out about what has been an 'indescribably painful time' for her as she begged false reporters to consider the son that he had left behind.
