One Direction members 'devastated' by Liam Payne's death

Trigger warning: Mention of drug and alcohol influence

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The members of hugely successful pop group One Direction said Thursday they were "completely devastated" by the death of bandmate Liam Payne, who fell from the balcony of his Buenos Aires hotel room at the age of 31.

Family members said they were "heartbroken" as tributes poured in from the world of music, fans and even the office of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

In Argentina, an autopsy suggested that the British singer had not tried to stop his fall on Wednesday, and "may have fallen in a state of semi or total unconsciousness" before his death.

"We're completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say," One Direction bandmates Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik said on social media.

"But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly," they said.

In a separate tribute on Instagram, Styles said Payne's "greatest joy was making other people happy."

"The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend," he wrote.

Tomlinson described Payne as "the kind brother I'd longed all my life for."

"And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction," he said on Instagram.

"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."

Payne was found dead after hotel staff called emergency services twice to report "a guest who is overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol, and destroying his room," according to leaked audio.

"I don't know if the guest's life is in danger. But he has a room with a balcony and we're a little afraid that he might do something life-threatening," an employee said.

Payne, the father of a seven-year-old boy shared with Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy, had spoken publicly about struggles with alcohol and coping with fame from an early age.

He had been staying in a room on the Casa Sur hotel's third floor, with a balcony overlooking a rear patio that