COVID-19: UK's Captain Moore dies at 100

JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP

Captain Tom Moore, the British World War Two veteran who raised millions of pounds for health service workers on the frontline of the battle against COVID-19, has died aged 100, his family said on Tuesday.

"It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our dear father, Captain Sir Tom Moore," his daughters said in a statement.

Moore died on Tuesday morning at Bedford Hospital. He had tested positive for COVID-19 on January 22 and was fighting pneumonia. Over the last five years, Moore had been receiving treatment for prostate and skin cancer, his family said.

He had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 due to the other medication he was taking.

Moore struck a chord with locked-down Britain by walking around his garden with the help of a walking frame to raise 38.9 million pounds (AED 194.9 million) for the National Health Service.

His endeavour spread joy amid the grim news of the coronavirus outbreak.

"The last year of our father's life was nothing short of remarkable. He was rejuvenated and experienced things he'd only ever dreamed of," his daughters said.

"Whilst he'd been in so many hearts for just a short time, he was an incredible father and grandfather, and he will stay alive in our hearts forever."

Raised in Yorkshire, northern England, Moore served in India, Myanmar and Sumatra during World War Two.

"I'm so sorry to hear that Captain Tom has passed away in hospital," British health minister Matt Hancock said on Twitter. 

More from International

  • Israel says it is poised to move on Rafah

    Israel's military is poised to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah and assault Hamas hold-outs in the southern Gaza Strip city, a senior Israeli defence official said, despite international warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe.

  • More than 100 pilot whales stranded in Western Australia, experts say

    Marine wildlife experts were frantically trying to rescue some 140 pilot whales stranded on Thursday in the shallow waters of an estuary in the southwest of the state of Western Australia.

  • Grand jury indicts 18 in Arizona fake elector scheme

    A grand jury has charged 18 people with allegedly participating in an Arizona fake elector scheme to re-elect then-US President Donald Trump in 2020, the state's attorney general said on Wednesday.

  • India inspects spice makers over alleged contamination

    India is inspecting facilities of spice makers MDH and Everest for compliance with quality standards after sales of some of their products were halted in Hong Kong and Singapore for allegedly containing high levels of a cancer-causing pesticide.

  • Israeli media predict offensive in Gaza's Rafah soon

    Israel is poised to send troops into Rafah, the Gazan city it sees as the last bastion of Hamas, Israeli media reported on Wednesday, saying preparations were under way to evacuate war-displaced Palestinian civilians who have been sheltering there.