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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Tom Embury-Dennis

World's oldest man dies in Spain aged 113

Francisco Nunez Olivera, the world's oldest man, has died at his home in the Spain a month after celebrating his 113th birthday. 

He passed away around 10.30pm on Monday night. 

The mayor of Bienvenida, a village in south-west Spain where he lived in his entire life, described it "a pity for the entire village and the whole world," according to Spanish newspaper El Periodico.

Mr Olivera, who was born on 13 December 1904, was known locally as "Marchena", a nickname given to him when a child mistook him for the famous Spanish singer, Pepe Marchena.

The retired farmer reportedly took daily walks alone in his village until he was 107, and started to read again at 98 following an operation to cure his cataracts, The Daily Mirror reports. 

It was apparently one of only two occasions he ever went to hospital.

Guillermo Fdez Vara, president of the Extramadura, the region in which Mr Olivera lived, took to Twitter to pay his respects: "Rest in peace, good man. Until always Marchena."

He leaves behind four children, nine grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren

The supercentenarian became the world's oldest man after the death in August 2017 of Yisrael Kristal, a Holocaust survivor who lived to the age of 113 and 330 days.

In 2015, he told newspaper El Mundo he wanted to live a couple more years despite his friends having all passed away. "I know I'm old but I don't feel old," he said.

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