Questions remain as the investigation into Liam Payne's fatal fall continues CNN

As the reality of Liam Penn's death sets in, his family, friends and former One Direction bandmates are still trying to make sense of the devastating loss as authorities continue their investigation into Penn's final moments and the circumstances surrounding his fatal fall.

Paye died after falling from the third floor of Casasur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday. He was 31.

His death remains under investigation Friday by local authorities, who are working to determine the nature of Payne's fall as more details begin to emerge.

Argentina's public prosecutor's office said Thursday that “everything indicates that the musician was alone at the time of the fall.” The prosecutor's office also suspects that Payne, who has previously been open about her struggles with addiction and her mental health, was potentially “experiencing some type of substance abuse episode” at the time.

A photo released by police in Buenos Aires on Wednesday shows a table in Penn's hotel room strewn with items including an unidentified white powder, crumpled tinfoil and a lighter. Some burn marks are also visible on the table.

They suspect that he was not fully conscious at the time of his fall. “Given the position in which the body was found and the injuries sustained from the fall, it is presumed that Payne did not adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself and may have been semi- or fully unconscious,” the report said. .

Marcelo Roma, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation, confirmed that preliminary autopsy reports confirmed that Penn died of multiple serious injuries and “internal and external bleeding” as a result of the fall.

Six people are believed to have seen Payne in the hours before he spoke to local police in Buenos Aires on Thursday as part of an investigation into the singer's death.

Two women, the musician's manager and three hotel employees testified to city police, authorities told CNN Friday, as investigators work with the prosecutor's office to reconstruct the events. The women who testified were in his hotel room with the British singer but had already left by the time of his death, according to the prosecutor's office.

Results of toxicology tests are still pending to determine if Payne was under the influence of alcohol or other substances at the time of his death.

On Wednesday, Buenos Aires police initially responded to the hotel after an employee called 911 requesting emergency police assistance to help a hotel guest who was “under the influence of drugs and alcohol” and whose life they feared was “at risk.” The emergency call was received by CNN's local affiliate Todo Noticias.

A report later released by the public prosecutor's office stated that multiple substances were seized from Payne's home that “may indicate pre-existing conditions of alcohol and drug use.”

It is not yet clear whether Payne jumped from the balcony of his house or fell by accident.

Buenos Aires police previously told The Associated Press in a statement that they believed the former, but did not elaborate on how they reached that conclusion, and referred CNN to the prosecutor's office for more information.

Penn's family said in a statement they were “heartbroken” by his death, according to the UK's PA Media news agency.

“Liam will live forever in our hearts and we will remember him for his kind, funny and brave spirit,” the statement read. “We are supporting each other as best we can as a family and asking for privacy and space during this terrible time.”

Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik – the remaining members of One Direction – honored their friend and former bandmate on Thursday with a group statement and several personal remembrances.

“We are completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing,” the band said in a joint statement. “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”

“We will miss him terribly,” added the quartet. We love you Liam.”

One Direction, formed in 2010, was brought together by producer Simon Cowell after he noticed each member's musical talent when they individually auditioned for the UK version of “The X-Factor”.

Once they became a group, they skyrocketed in popularity and became known for hit songs including “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Best Song Ever,” and “Story of My Life.” Known as 1D by their ardent fans, they became the first band to have their first four albums hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

With over 70 million records sold worldwide, One Direction is one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.

In 2015, Malik left the group and a year later, they disbanded after announcing they were going on an “indefinite hiatus”. All of the former five members went on to pursue solo careers, including Payne, who released his latest single, “Teardrops,” in March.

“Liam was an incredible songwriter with a great sense of melody, we often talked about getting back into the studio and getting back together to recreate the writing chemistry we had built in the band,” Tomlinson wrote on his Instagram page Thursday.

Payne, Tomlinson continued, “was the most important part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for forming us Liam.”

Malik shared the same sentiment while paying tribute to Payne on Thursday.

“When it comes to music Liam, you were the most worthy in every sense,” Malik wrote, addressing Payne directly. “I was always happy to know that no matter what happened on stage we could always count on you to know which way to steer the next ship.”

In a statement posted on his Instagram account on Friday, Horan said he was “absolutely devastated by the death of my amazing friend”.

“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was contagious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and safe,” Horan wrote. “I feel very lucky that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn't know that after saying goodbye to her that evening and hugging her, I would be leaving forever. It's heartbreaking.”

On Friday, Cowell broke his silence about Payne's death, writing on his verified Instagram, “You never know how you feel about someone until that moment,” adding that he was “devastated.” heartbreaking And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. The tears I shed are memories of you.”

Later in his post, Cowell wrote that Payne visited him last year. “Not for meetings. Just to sit and talk. And we reminisced about all the fun times we had together. And how proud you are to be a father. After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I saw all those years ago.”

As news of Payne's death spread around the world, One Direction supporters gathered outside the Buenos Aires hotel where Payne died. Many played music, lit candles and shared stories about what the band and Paine meant to them.

“His greatest joy was making other people happy,” Styles wrote in a separate statement posted on his Instagram page Thursday. “It was an honor to be by his side as he did it.”

CNN's Sol Amaya and Anna Melger contributed to this story.