The father of former One Direction star Liam Payne, who tragically fell to his death from a Buenos Aires hotel balcony last month, has begun the process of repatriating his son's body to Britain, according to a police source.
A flight carrying Payne's remains departed Buenos Aires for London at 1.58 pm local time (1658 GMT), the source confirmed. A video circulating on social media captured his father, Geoff, at Ezeiza International Airport just moments before boarding.
Argentine media reported that Payne's body was transported on Wednesday morning from the British Cemetery in Buenos Aires, where it had been embalmed. An employee from the funeral home handling the arrangements stated on Tuesday that the repatriation would occur within the next 24 to 48 hours.
Payne was discovered deceased on October 16 after falling from the balcony of his third-floor room at the CasaSur Hotel in the Argentinian capital. His untimely death at the age of 31 sparked an international wave of grief and condolences from family, former bandmates, fans, and others. It also ignited a discussion about the music industry's responsibility towards the mental health of stars who achieve fame at a young age.
Payne had openly discussed his battles with substance abuse and the challenges of coping with fame from a young age. Hotel staff had contacted emergency services twice to report a guest who was 'overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol' and 'destroying' a hotel room.
On Tuesday, Geoff Payne visited the makeshift memorial of letters, photos, and flowers left by fans outside the CasaSur hotel following his son's death. One Direction, one of the highest-grossing live acts in the world, went on indefinite hiatus in 2016. Payne subsequently enjoyed some solo success, but his career had recently stagnated.
Source link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com
