Tearful Liam Payne fans comforted one another as they came together to remember him at a vigil in London’s Hyde Park.
Hundreds of people gathered at the park’s Peter Pan statue on Sunday. Many were seen crying and hugging one another, while others wrote messages and laid flowers.
Payne, 31, died as a result of multiple injuries after falling from his third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday.
Lauren, 26, from Kent, said it was “comforting being with other people… because these people get it, whereas back at home, you’re just kind of on your own, and it’s quite tough, you’re stuck in your own thoughts, and here you can talk about it”.
She added Payne’s death hit harder than the loss of popstar Tom Parker from The Wanted because she was “prepared for it” after his brain tumour diagnosis.
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Tess Hayden, 24, is from the US and was on holiday in Dublin when Payne died. She decided to cut her trip short and travel to London in the hope of attending a vigil.
She said: “Well, my older brother and I had been planning a trip to Dublin for a while, and I knew I was gonna try and come to London at some point at the end of the trip, but when I woke up and heard the news, I was like, ‘okay, I’ll just go a day earlier (and) try and figure (it) out’.”
Ms Hayden added that it was “very surreal… sad, devastating, and shocking”.
“It’s a reminder of what a huge part of my childhood and growing up, Liam and One Direction were,” she added.
Natasha Bradley, 23, who was also at the event, said: “I’ve literally been feeling so sad like ever since the news came on, I just didn’t believe that.”
Fans also organised an event for him in Liverpool on Saturday, where they sang together and were seen in tears.
‘I feel pain in every part of my body’
‘Directioners’ travelled to Buenos Aires to pay their respects outside the Casa Sur hotel immediately after Payne’s death became public.
His father Geoff Payne arrived there on Friday to arrange the repatriation of his son’s body and stopped to observe flowers and messages left by fans.
Sisters Selena, 21, and Augustina, 25, spoke to Sky News correspondent Martha Kelner after travelling three hours from the city of La Plata to the hotel.
“When One Direction came to Argentina in 2014 it was so exciting. We went to the concert and we were in VIP and we were so close to them,” Selena said.
“It feels like so recent, and now that Liam’s gone I feel pain in every part of my body and my heart.
“He was a beautiful person. When his dad came to see the notes around the tree we shielded him from the cameras because the love we have is so big for Liam and his family as well.”
Rocio Hipperdingar also came from La Plata.
“At first I didn’t believe it had happened. I’ve been a fan of One Direction since I was 13 and now I’m 24,” she said.
“I spent many years of my life thinking of them, listening to their music and they were my support in very bad times. I couldn’t believe when I heard he had died, I thought it was fake news. I wanted to come to the hotel because it’s about remembering all the good times I felt with their music.”
She feels as though she has “lost a friend”, she added.
Fan Aelen Urguesta, 24, from Buenos Aires, was also there. “I’m 24 and have loved Liam since I was 14,” she said.
“I saw him at Niall Horan’s concert in Buenos Aires the week before he died and that was wonderful to see them together.
“The most heartbreaking thing is that he passed away here and not with his family. Liam was a very important part of One Direction so it’s incredibly sad. I can’t say exactly how I feel because I am so emotional.”
Payne’s former bandmates have all paid tribute to him, with Zayn Malik postponing his upcoming US tour dates until January as a mark of respect.
His girlfriend Kate Cassidy said she is “at a loss” without her “angel”, while the mother of his child Cheryl has criticised “abhorrent” reporting around his death.