Cape Town – The ‘world’s dirtiest man’ who reportedly believed that ‘cleanliness brought illnesses’ has died.
Amou Haji, 94, reportedly fell ill and died in Iran a few months after taking his first bath in six decades, reports said.
Haji died on Sunday in the village of Dejgah shortly after villagers persuaded him to take a bath, The Guardian reports.
The report said Haji allegedly ate roadkill, smoked a pipe filled with animal excrement, and believed that cleanliness would make him ill – reasoning villagers blamed on his “emotional setbacks in his youth”.
According to the Telegram, Haji has no known family but was loved by villagers.
The report said the 94-year-old caught the world’s attention when videos of him engaging in strange acts started circulating years ago.
These acts included smoking up to five cigarettes at once, or smoking dung from a metal plumbing joint with pictures often showing the man with his skin and rags that have become black from filth, the report said.
Despite the strange behaviour and unclean lifestyle, the report said a team of doctors from Tehran had examined Haji earlier this year and found him to be in good health.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
