The world’s shortest man has died in American Samoa, aged 75.

Nepalese national Chandra Bahadur Dangi died on Thursday of an undisclosed illness at a medical centre in Pago Pago, a hospital spokeswoman said.

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Mr Dangi, at 54.6 centimetres, held two Guinness World Records — the world’s shortest man and the shortest person ever recorded.

The Guinness Book of Records officially recognised his records on February 26, 2012.

Until then, Mr Dangi had reportedly never left his remote Nepali village of Reemkholi in Dang district, more than 500 kilometres from the capital Kathmandu.

Since the awards, Mr Dangi travelled the world, sometimes with the world’s tallest man, Sultan Kosen, who stands at 2.51 metres.

He had been touring the South Pacific since early this year with Samoa’s Tupa’l Bruno’s Magic Circus.

The American Samoa hospital where Mr Dangi was admitted several days ago said he was undergoing treatment but did not give the cause of death.

Earlier this year he was hospitalised in Samoa, reportedly with pneumonia.