One Direction break silence on Liam Payne's death in heartbreaking tribute

has issued a statement following the tragic loss of one of their bandmates, .

Liam was on October 16 after falling from a balcony at a hotel in Argentina. from celebrities, loved ones and fans all over the world as the shocking news was announced.

The group, comprising of Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, penned an emotional statement as they paid tribute to the tragic loss of their former bandmate.

One Direction officially split in January 2016, less than a year after Zayn announced he was going his separate ways from the group.

The band met in 2010 after all auditioning solo for , though Liam had auditioned two years prior and got all the way to Judges Houses.

He was advised by to come back when he was a bit older, so he returned but failed to go through as a solo artist.

Instead, the X Factor judges pulled photos of boys together and opted to make a band, with Nicole Scherzinger pulling the photos of Liam, Harry, Louis, Niall and Zayn to the table.

Once they were invited back on, the five agreed to be in a group together and went on to land third place on the talent show.

The group immediately shot to fame after their time on the show, with multiple Number 1 singles, a stadium tour and a huge loyal fanbase.

After their split in 2016, they went on to pursue solo projects, with Liam releasing tracks such as Strip That Down and featuring on Rita Ora's For You, which appeared in the Fifty Shades franchise.

Liam went on to have many relationships in the public eye, most notably with Cheryl Cole, with the pair welcoming their son, Bear Payne, in March 2017.