A woman who had just celebrated her 100th birthday died after being engulfed in flames when her clothes caught fire while cooking in her home.
Renata Gessini marked her centenary on October 4 with a celebration that included a cake, flowers, and congratulations from the mayor and local community in Carpineto Romano, Italy.
Tragically, only four days later, the retired schoolteacher died in a kitchen fire.
On October 8, firefighters and Italian police rushed to her apartment after neighbours reported a blaze.
However, upon their arrival, the fire had already spread, and rescuers could do nothing to save her.
Initial investigations found that her clothes caught fire while she was preparing a meal, and she was unable to escape.
Her home showed no signs of forced entry and was locked from the inside.
Her body was taken to the Tor Vergata Polyclinic in Rome, and the property was placed under seal for further examination.
Renata, born in 1925, had spent her career teaching generations of children to read and write and was described as a living part of the town’s history.
The municipality of Carpineto Romano had honoured her on October 4, writing on Facebook: ‘Those who have lived a long and full life represent, like teacher Renata Gessini, a small piece of the history of Carpineto.
‘She is the emblem of longevity, the symbol of an existence that leaves an indelible mark on our community and in our hearts.’
It comes after a trailblazing woman who attributed her longevity to not having the stress of a husband died aged 108 just four days after celebrating her 100th birthday in February.
Yvonne Glover, who was born in 1916 and lived through both world wars, never married or had children because she believed it impossible to commit to one person.
She instead focused on her career, becoming the first female hydrographer in the UK during 40 years of service.
Glover led a very active life, having been a prodigious young swimmer who narrowly missed out on competing at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Her passing came after the death of a Japanese woman who was the world’s oldest person.
Tomiko Itooka died on December 29 last year at a care home in Ashiya, central Japan, at the age of 116.
And British man John Alfred Tinniswood was the world’s oldest man when he passed away aged 112 last November.
Another British supercentenarian, 116-year-old Ethel Caterham, is currently the world’s second-oldest person.
She is the last surviving subject of King Edward VII.
The world’s oldest man is currently 113-year-old Brazilian Joao Marinho Neto.
