The singer's publicist said she died during a short recording trip to London, but declined to comment on the cause of death.

"Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time," the publicist, Lindsey Holmes, said in a statement. O'Riordan is survived by two daughters and a son.

Police in London said a woman in her 40s was pronounced dead early on Monday at a hotel on Park Lane in central London.

A spokesman said police were continuing inquiries into the death, which was being treated as "unexplained". The woman had yet to be formally identified, he said.