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Officials reveal preliminary results for Liam Payne's cause of death

The 31-year-old reportedly died after an apparent fall from a hotel balcony in Argentina.
Liam Payne
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One day after former One Direction band member Liam Payne’s passing, authorities are releasing details about his cause of death.

The 31-year-old reportedly died Wednesday after an apparent fall from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

Officials began the process of an autopsy late Wednesday and preliminary results were released Thursday.

Forensic Medical Corps at the Judicial Morgue on Viamonte Street told Argentinian publication La Nacion that initial results showed “the artist suffered multiple traumas that led to internal and external hemorrhage,” according to a translation from Spanish.

Coroners reported that 25 injuries described in the autopsy aligned with those caused by a fall from a height, and said that the head injuries were enough to cause death La Nacion reported.

Forensic experts also said no defensive injuries were found that would suggest the intervention of third parties, and that the position in which Payne fell suggest he was not in a position where he had any reflex to brace himself, meaning he could have fallen into a state of semi or total unconsciousness, La Nacion said.

This is only preliminary information provided from forensic experts to La Nacion, as full details from an official autopsy report have not yet been released.

On Wednesday, police said they were called to the hotel and alerted to a "aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol,” according to Reuters. While they did not identify that person as Payne, the singer has been open about his struggles with addiction in the past.

"Our hearts are absolutely broken and we wish much light and strength to his family and loved ones at this time," MTV's Latin American branch wrote in a social media post that included a photo of Payne.

RELATED STORY | One Direction singer Liam Payne reportedly dead at 31 after apparent fall from hotel balcony

One Direction, which also included members Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, formed in 2010 after each member had appeared on the reality competition show "The X Factor." The British band has sold more than 70 million records worldwide, but broke up in 2016 as its members pursued different projects.

Payne would go on to launch his debut solo album in 2019 titled "LP1." He said last year he was working on a second studio album, but returned to music with the single "Teardrops" that released in March.

While he was not married, Payne is survived by a 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, who was born in 2017 to then-girlfriend and Girls Aloud group member Cheryl Cole.