Autopsy carried out on Whitney Houston.

Euronews - Members of the Baptist church in New Jersey where the late Whitney Houston began her solo career have expressed sadness and shock at the sudden death of the singer and actress.

There has been growing speculation over the cause of death of the 48-year-old whom coroners have confirmed was discovered dead in the bath of her Beverly Hills hotel room.

But Los Angeles Chief Coroner Ed Winter gave very little away when he spoke to reporters:

“We have concluded the autopsy on Miss Whitney Houston. It was concluded today. There will be no cause of death at this time because it is pending toxicology reports and that could take up to six to eight weeks.”

Although Houston enjoyed tremendous professional success she had struggled with drug abuse for years. She died on Saturday afternoon – she had been due to attend a pre-Grammy gala.

At the annual music awards ceremony tributes were paid to the pop diva who during a 30-year career established herself as one of the most admired and influential singers of her time.