Tallest Woman In The World Passes Away Before Reaching her Fortieth Birthday

A record-breaking Chinese woman has passed away at the young age of 39.

Yao Defen, recognised by Guinness World Records as the tallest woman in the world in 2010, measured an incredible height of 7ft 7in.

A spokesperson for the government of Shucha town in eastern China, where Yao lived, spoke to Sky News to confirm that Yao passed away “in the middle of last month”.

Yao’s record-breaking height was reportedly due to a tumour in her pituitary gland, but no details have yet emerged about the cause of her death. She is recorded as the third-tallest woman in history, a number of inches shorter than Zeng Jinlian the tallest woman ever who measured 8ft 1.75in.

Yao Defen pictured with her older brother in 2006

The sad news comes just two days after the death of the world’s oldest woman, Besse Cooper, passed away on Tuesday of this week at the age of 116.

In contrast to Besse’s long and reportedly very happy life though, Yao Defen appears to have had a lifelong struggle with her unique trait. In a Chinese language video recorded three years ago, Yao is captured on camera saying: "I am very unhappy. Why am I this tall?... If I were not this tall, others would not look at me like this."