World’s shortest man Khagendra Thapa Magar dies at 27

POKHARA, Jan 17: The world’s shortest man Khagendra Thapa Magar, who measured 67.08 centimeters (2 feet 2.41 inches), has died at a hospital in Pokhara on Friday. He was 27.

According to his family members, Thapa was suffering from pneumonia and had been in and out of the hospital.

Thapa was admitted to Manipal Teaching Hospital on Thursday after his health suddenly deteriorated. He died at around 3 pm.

“But this time he also suffered from heart problems. He passed away on Friday night,” said his brother Mahesh Thapa.

Born in Dhullubaskot-6, Urleni of Baglung district on October 4, 1992, Thapa held the record as the world’s shortest man who could walk in the Guinness Book of World Records twice. He was first declared the world’s shortest man in 2010 but lost the title after Chandra Bahadur Dangi was discovered as the world’s shortest mobile man. Dangi measured 54.6 centimeters. Thapa regained the title after Dangi’s death in 2015.

“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.

Junrey Balawing of the Philippines holds the record for the world’s shortest non-mobile man measuring only 59.93 centimeters, according to Guinness World Records.

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