Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death

The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'

The circumstances surrounding the death of ex-One Direction singer Liam Payne were suspicious and possibly involved drugs, though there was no sign of a third party being involved, Argentine prosecutors said Thursday.

Payne, 31, who died on Wednesday, first shot to fame as a teenager and grappled with the pressures of global stardom.

As word of his death ricocheted around the world, fans and media swarmed the Casa Sur Hotel in the chic Palermo neighbourhood of Argentina's capital where Payne was found dead after plunging from his third-floor hotel room. All four of Payne's former One Direction bandmates issued a joint statement saying they were "completely devastated."

"The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever," said the letter, signed by Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson. "In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say."

The Buenos Aires police said they found Payne's hotel room "in complete disarray" with broken objects and furniture. They found packs of clonazepam, a central nervous system depressant, energy supplements and over-the-counter medications strewn about his belongings. The Argentine public prosecutor said there also appeared to be alcohol and narcotics in the room.

Forensics teams reported that a whiskey bottle, lighter and cellphone were retrieved from the building's internal courtyard where Payne's body was found.