Special Report

World's tallest woman dies

WASHINGTON: An American believed to be the world's tallest woman has died, nursing home staff said Thursday.Sandy Allen, 53, who grew to be more than seven feet, seven inches tall died Wednesday at a nursing home in Shelbyville, Indiana.A spokeswoman for the Heritage House Convalescent Center in Shelbyville said Allen "had been in failing health in recent years and died of natural causes."She had been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's tallest woman.By the time she was 10, Allen already stood six foot three. By 16, she was over seven feet tall, the Indianapolis Star daily said.It's believed that a tumor on her pituitary gland caused her abnormal growth.