'Keep going': France's Sister Andre becomes world's oldest person after death of Japan's Tanaka

France's Sister Andre, also known as Lucile Randon, has become the world's oldest person following the death of Japan's Kane Tanaka.

Andre also became the oldest person in Europe after she recently celebrated her 117th birthday.

Born in 1904, Andre has now lived through two global health crisis as she was a teenager when the Spanish flu struck in 1918.

"It pleased me so, so, so much, I met all those that I loved and thank God for giving them to me, I thank God," she told Reuters news agency.

When Andre was questioned about surviving COVID-19 a few ago, she said "No, I wasn’t scared because I wasn’t scared to die."

French President Emmanuel Macron wrote her a letter to greet her on New Year at the beginning of 2022.

Andre told news wire AFP, "I was always admired for my wisdom and intelligence, but now people could care less because I'm stubborn."

Previously, a Japanese woman called Kane Tanaka, aged 119, was the world's oldest person.

Japan Broadcasting Corporation, also called NHK, reported that died of old age at a hospital in Fukuoka city on April 19.

Tanaka was born on January 2, 1903, and was an example of Japan's dwindling and rapidly ageing population.

According to David Tavella, the director of a nursing home in Toulon where Andre lives, "She's happy, she likes very much this attention."

He added: "But it's just another step because her real goal is to overtake Jeanne Calment."

Calment, who was also a French woman, died in 1997 at the age of 122 years.