Kane Tanaka, world’s oldest person, dies at 119

The world’s oldest person, Japanese woman Kane Tanaka, passed away last week at the age of 119.

Tanaka’s official Twitter account, run by her great-grandson, posted Monday: “As reported today, Kako died on April 19th. Thank you to everyone who supported us.”

The tweet explained that the announcement had been released six days after Tanaka’s death for the purpose of consistency with the Japanese government’s announcement.

“It was late because it was reported at the same time as the official announcement by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare,” the account wrote.

Earlier this month, Tanaka’s family shared that she was experiencing a declining physical condition, about which people had expressed concerns and well wishes to the family.

“Thank you for your comment about Kako’s physical condition,” read a tweet. “In fact, she’s been getting sick lately and she’s been hospitalized and discharged repeatedly.”

The post continued: “Even so, she seems to be eating cola, Oronamin C, and chocolate because she wants to eat it. She just hopes she feels better now.”

Tanaka turned 119 on Jan. 2, at which time her family described her as “lively and energetic.” She passed away at the exact age of 119 years and 107 days.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.