First gentleman Edgar Preca is alive and well, the Office of the President said this evening. 

"Following erroneous stories featured in some international media, the Office of the President would like to hereby confirm that Mr Preca is well," the statement read. 

Officials were forced to issue a brief statement concerning Mr Preca after a fake news report alleging he had passed away made the rounds on social media. 

READ: Edgar Preca, the shy first gentleman

The news report, published on a fringe foreign news site, alleged Mr Preca died following "an acute stomach pain." 

Although the report's poor grammar and confused text - it expresses its condolences to "the entire Solomon Islands community" - should have given the game away, enough locals were tricked into thinking the news was real that Mrs Coleiro-Preca's office was forced to deny the claim. 

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