An Egyptian once believed to be the heaviest woman in the world has died of heart and kidney failure, aged 37.

Eman Ahmed, who weighed more than 78 stone (500kg) at her heaviest, had been receiving treatment for several months following an operation in March.

She first had surgery in Mumbai, losing about 50 stone (317kg) after being transported from Egypt on a specially adapted cargo plane following a tweet to India's foreign minister pleading for help.

Prior to the operation she had not left her home in 25 years.

May: 'World's heaviest' woman leaves hospital

Following the procedure, which was paid for through a crowdsourcing campaign, she managed to reduce her weight to just under 28 stone (176kg).


But despite the apparent success of the operation, her sister, Shaimaa Selim, accused staff of lying about how much weight Ms Ahmed had lost, prompting several doctors to resign.

She later appeared to change her stance, saying: "Thank you to everyone…people in India. Thank you."

May: Sister thanks India after operation on 'world's heaviest' woman

In May, Ms Ahmed was transported to Abu Dhabi for further operations. She was taken by air ambulance on a hydraulic stretcher specially imported from Italy, via a 12-mile (20km) corridor created by Mumbai authorities to move her from the hospital to the airport.

For the last four months of her life, a team of more than 20 doctors had been caring for her at the Burjeel Hospital, where it was reported staff were hoping to help her walk again.

She suffered from elephantiasis, a condition that causes body tissue to swell, and had a stroke at the age of 11, her family said.

Ms Selim said Ms Ahmed, who celebrated her birthday last month, had dreamed of one day being able to return to the beach in her hometown of Alexandria.