World’s shortest man Khagendra Thapa Magar dies at age 27

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World’s shortest man Khagendra Thapa Magar dies at age of 27

Kathmandu: The world's shortest man who could walk, as verified by Guinness World Records, died Friday at a hospital in Nepal, his family said.

Khagendra Thapa Magar, who measured 67.08 centimetres (2 feet 2.41 inches), died of pneumonia at a hospital in Pokhara, 200 kilometres from Kathmandu, where he lived with his parents.

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We are saddened today to hear of the passing of the world’s shortest man, Khagendra Thapa Magar from Nepal. He was 27 years old.⁣ ⁣ Khagendra, who was born on 14 October 1992, stood at 67.08 cm (2 ft 2.41 in) tall when measured at Fewa City Hospital in Pohkara, Nepal, on the advent of his 18th birthday in 2010. ⁣ ⁣ Khagendra was born in the Baglung district of Nepal, the eldest son of Roop Bahadur and Dhan Maya. His father recalled, “He was so tiny when he was born that he could fit in the palm of your hand, and it was very hard to bathe him because he was so small.”⁣ ⁣ According to friends, Khagendra had been struggling recently with heart problems, asthma and pneumonia.⁣ ⁣ "We’re terribly sad to hear the news from Nepal that Khagendra is no longer with us," said Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday, who first met Khagendra during his visit to Italy in 2010. ⁣ ⁣ "His bright smile was so infectious that he melted the hearts of anyone who met him. As many people of short stature experience, life can be challenging when you weigh just 6 kg and you don’t fit into world built for the average person. But Khagendra certainly didn’t let his small size stop him from getting the most out of life. It’s been an honour to know him and his family, and a privilege to share his story with the world."⁣ ⁣ Click the link in our bio for more memories of Khagendra.

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"He has been in and out of hospital because of pneumonia. But this time his heart was also affected. He passed away today," Mahesh Thapa Magar, his brother, told AFP.

Magar was first declared the world's shortest man in 2010 after his 18th birthday, photographed holding a certificate only a bit smaller than him.

However, he eventually lost the title after Nepal's Chandra Bahadur Dangi, who measured 54.6 centimetres, was discovered and named the world's shortest mobile man.

Magar regained the title after Dangi's death in 2015.

"He was so tiny when he was born that he could fit in the palm of your hand, and it was very hard to bathe him because he was so small," said his father, Roop Bahadur, according to Guinness World Records.

As the world's shortest man the 27-year-old travelled to more than a dozen countries and made television appearances in Europe and the United States.

"We're terribly sad to hear the news from Nepal that Khagendra is no longer with us," said Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records editor-in-chief.

"Life can be challenging when you weigh just 6 kilograms and you don't fit into a world built for the average person. But Khagendra certainly didn't let his small size stop him from getting the most out of life" he said.

Magar became an official face of Nepal's tourism campaign, which featured him as the smallest man in a country that is home to the world's highest peak, Mount Everest.

During his stint he met other short people around the world, including the shortest woman, Jyoti Amge, from India.

In a video released by Guinness World Records, Magar is seen playing a guitar with his brother, riding a bike and sitting at his family's shop.

The world's shortest non-mobile man remains Junrey Balawing of the Philippines, who measures only 59.93 centimetres but is unable to walk or stand unaided, according to Guinness World Records.

The record for shortest living mobile man is now retained by Edward "Nino" Hernandez of Colombia, a reggaeton DJ who stands 70.21 centimeters tall, Guinness said.