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World's oldest person Nabi Tajima dead aged 117

Great-great-great grandmother Nabi Tajima died from old age at a hospital in her native Japan while Guinness World Records conducted research to verify her as the worlds oldest human

Mum-of-nine and great-great-great grandmother Nabi Tajima was born in 1900 and passed away on Saturday in her home country of Japan, it is reported.

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She died from old age at a hospital on her native south-western island of Kikaijima, the Kyodo news agency said.

Guinness World Records had been conducting research with a view to certifying Tajima as the oldest person alive after the previous record holder, Violet Brown of Jamaica, died last year at 117, Kyodo said.

Her husband Tominishi died in the 1990s aged 95.

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The organisation recognised a 112-year-old Japanese man, Masazo Nonaka, as the world's oldest man earlier this month.

In Japan, the number of centenarians totalled 67,824 last year, government data shows, up sharply from 153 in 1963.

Tajima's death comes just days after the passing of Celino Villanueva Jaramillo, who was reportedly born in July 1896, suffered a pierced lung when he fell out of bed last week.

Mr Jaramillo, who lived in San Jose de Mariquina in southern Chile, was never recognised as the oldest person alive by Guinness because his birth certificate was destroyed in a fire.

When he turned 115, Chilean President Sebastian Piñera and minister of social development Joaquin Lavin visited him to deliver gifts and recognise him as the country's oldest citizen.

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Culled from Mirror.co.uk

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