She turned 118 – the oldest woman in the world died

The oldest person in the world, the French nun André, has died. She was 118 years old, the mayor of her southern French city of Toulon, Hubert Falco, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday evening.

Sister André died in the nursing home in the night from Monday to Tuesday, the French news agency AFP reports, citing the spokesperson for the woman born Lucile Randon.

The Gerontology research group has put Sister André on the list as the oldest living person since the end of April last year, formerly the oldest European. With her death, the ranking of the association of researchers is now moving up Maria Branyas Morera, who lives in Spain, took the place of the oldest person in the world at the age of 115.

Sister André was born on February 11, 1904 in Alès. The French woman worked as a teacher in her youth and did not join a religious order until she was in her early forties. Recently sister André was in a wheelchair, she had not been able to see well for years. She is an honorary citizen of the city of Toulon, where she lived in the home for several years. Mayor Falco praised her as “incredibly modern” and a “nun with a big heart”.

(yam/sda/dpa)