A Vietnamese woman has been proclaimed the world's oldest living person, at 122, the director of the Vietnam Guinness Book Centre confirmed Friday.

Nguyen Thi Tru of Ho Chi Minh City was recognized by the Hong Kong-based World Records Association.

The news of her successful application came three weeks after the passing of the world's previous officially oldest person, Japan's Misao Okawa, who died April 1 aged 117.

"We sent document application on July 21" last year, Le Tran Truong An, director of the Vietnam Guinness Book Centre, told dpa.

"The World Records Association sent a document to recognize her as the oldest woman in the world on April 20 after verifying it carefully."

An said that Tru was born in 1893 and was in her late 40s when her youngest child was born. That son recently died at the age of 72.

Tru told local media that she credited her longevity to unselfishness, and that her favorite meal is rice porridge with milk, pork and a soft dessert.
Source: dpa