Amou Haji was nicknamed the “Dirtiest Man in the World” after he refused to shower for decades. According to CBS News, Haji refused to bathe for more than half a century.
Haji, who lived in Iran, said he avoided showers because he fear the act of cleaning himself would cause him to get sick. His fears may have been realized.
‘Dirtiest Man in the World’—Who Feared Baths—Dies at 94
As new reports revealed, at 94 years old villagers convinced Haji to bathe for the first time in more than 50 years just a few months ago.
Now it’s being revealed that Haji has passed away after falling ill. It’s unclear what caused his illness and if it is just a coincidence he passed away so soon after his first bath.
According to The Guardian, Haji was known to eat roadkill and smoke a pipe filled with animal excrement. He would opt for what he called “fire baths,” which he claimed “it’s just like using water to take a bath. Fire bath helps kill all the germs and infections in the body.”
Fellow villagers say Haji suffered “emotional setbacks in his youth.” It was those setbacks that people believe led to his fear of bathing.
He lived most of his life in a cinder-block shack and was perpetually covered in soot. Haji’s funeral on held on Tuesday, October 25.
He has since been laid to rest.