Amou Haji, Known as ‘World’s Dirtiest Man,’ Dead at 94 ‘Not Long After’ First Bath in 60 Years

Amou Haji reportedly refused to bathe for 60 years in fear that he would get sick

A man from Iran who was dubbed the “world’s dirtiest man” has died at the age of 94.

Amou Haji went more than 60 years without taking a bath before he died in Dejgah on Sunday, The Guardian reported.

Locals said he did not bathe due to “emotional setbacks in his youth,” the publication added.

The BBC said that Haji was afraid he’d get sick if he used soap and water.

He ultimately gave in, and “for the first time a few months ago, villagers had taken him to a bathroom to wash,” Iran’s IRNA news agency reported, according to The Telegraph. “Not long after, he fell ill and finally, on Sunday… he gave up his life.”

Haji isn’t survived by any known family members, but he was beloved in the village, and some even reportedly built him a cinderblock hut to sleep in.

His fame spread further after he went viral for smoking a handful of cigarettes at a time. He would also use a metal plumbing object to smoke animal waste, The Telegraph added.

It was reported that he would eat rotten porcupine roadkill, and he drank five liters of water daily from a dirty bucket, per the publication.

Physicians from Tehran reportedly evaluated him earlier this year, and he was deemed healthy.

Photos of Haji showed him covered in soot with a long gray beard. In one photo, he can be seen sitting on the ground barefoot surrounded by rocks and woods.

His nails appeared to be black as he held a rusted cup in his hands and gazed off camera.

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