The oldest person in the world, the French nun André, has died. She was 118 years old, as the mayor of her southern French town of Toulon, Hubert Falco, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday evening.

Sister André died in the night from Monday to Tuesday in the nursing home, the French news agency AFP reported, citing the spokesman for the woman born as Lucile Randon.

Since the end of April last year, the Gerontology Research Group has listed Sister André as the oldest living person, previously as the oldest European. With her death, the 115-year-old Maria Branyas Morera, who lives in Spain, is now the oldest person in the world in the ranking of the Association of Researchers.

Sister André was born on February 11, 1904 in Alès. The French woman worked as a tutor in her youth and only entered a religious order in her early 40s. Most recently, Sister André was in a wheelchair; she hadn't been able to see properly for several years. She is an honorary citizen of the city of Toulon, where she has lived in the home for a number of years. Mayor Falco praised her as "incredibly modern" and a "nun with a big heart".