A Mozambican pastor has died after fasting for 40 days, in an attempt to copy what Jesus Christ is said to have done in the Bible.

The death of Francisco Barajah, the pastor and founder of the Santa Trindade Evangelical Church in the central province of Manica, was confirmed on Wednesday.

He died while being treated at hospital in Beira where he was evacuated in critical condition.

After 25 days of fasting, he had lost a lot of weight to the point where he could not stand up, bathe or walk. Days later, at the insistence of relatives and believers, he was taken to a hospital but attempts to get him back to health were unsuccessful.

Believers at his church and his neighbors have been unsurprised at the turn of events, due to his extreme weight loss and disfigured body frame in recent days.