Death of Liam Payne: his body repatriated to the United Kingdom, his funeral will take place at the end of the week

His death shocked millions of One Direction fans around the world. Member of the British boyband that marked an entire generation, Liam Payne died from his injuries after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on October 16. Almost three weeks later, the body of the 31-year-old singer was repatriated to the United Kingdom on Wednesday, reports the BBC. Geoff Payne, his father, accompanied the remains on board a plane which took off from the international airport of the Argentine capital.

This delay, which may be surprising, is explained by the autopsy and toxicological examinations which followed the tragedy which made the headlines in the media around the world. They revealed Liam Payne suffered internal and external bleeding from his head and had ingested pink cocaine, a mixture of drugs containing methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA. Dismissing the theory of suicide, investigators now believe that the singer had an accidental fall, in a semi-comatose state linked to the consumption of these substances.

The members of One Direction at his funeral?

Following his death, fans gathered around the world, organizing ceremonies to pay tribute to him such as at the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris. Across the Channel, the tabloid The Mirror reveals that a funeral will be held at the end of the week in his hometown of Wolverhampton, with the date and location still to be determined. Likewise, the presence of his partners within One Direction is not yet confirmed. Following the tragedy, everyone spoke out, collectively and individually on social networks.

“We are completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing.“, wrote Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik in a joint message posted on Instagram. “We will take the time to mourn and digest the loss of our brother whom we loved so much. The memories we shared with him will always be precious. For now, our thoughts are with his family, friends and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly.”

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In Buenos Aires, the investigation continues to determine how the singer obtained the substances which led to his fall. This Tuesday, a second search was carried out in the room he occupied at the Casa Sur hotel, in a trendy district of the city. According to local media, police emerged carrying a cardboard box and various objects. If an employee of the establishment was questioned in the hours following the tragedy, suspected of having supplied the drugs, no arrests have taken place for the moment.