A man from South Africa, thought to be the oldest man in the world, has died at the age of 116.
According to the identification document, Fredie Blom was born in an Eastern Cape province in May 1904, although this date of birth was never verified by Guinness World Records.
As a teenager, his entire family was affected by the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. But Blom continued to survive for two more world wars.
In an interview with the BBC, two years ago, Blom said he had no secrets about his longevity, he has even been a regular smoker for many decades.
" There is only one thing - he [God] is above . He has all the powers. I have nothing. I can fall to the ground at any time, but He holds me."
Blom spent most of his life as a farm laborer before moving into the construction industry.
Blom's family reported that he died of natural causes on Saturday: " Two weeks ago, my grandfather was still cutting wood ," a relative of the family, Andre Naidoo, told the AFP news agency. "He was a strong man, full of pride."
In just a few days, Blom transformed " from a big man to a small person," he added.
Mr Naidoo said the family did not believe the death was related to Covid-19.
