Garbage collectors find lost million-euro lottery ticket in trash

A stroke of luck, or perhaps a minor miracle, occurred in the southern Italian town of Benevento when sanitation workers discovered a winning lottery ticket worth one million euros ($1.1 million USD) amidst a pile of garbage.

The ticket's owner had initially discarded it after attempting to cash it in at a local shop. The machine indicated she could not claim the prize there, leading her to believe the ticket was worthless. Unbeknownst to her, the shop's machine could only handle smaller payouts, and her ticket was indeed a major winner.

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a miracle

Upon returning home, a family member informed her that her numbers had matched the winning lottery draw. The woman, who consistently plays the same numbers linked to a loved one, then contacted the waste management company, SANB. Roberto Nicola Toscano, the company's general manager, described the find as "a miracle."

Workers had to meticulously sort through a large quantity of trash from one of the garbage trucks to locate the intact ticket. Toscano shared that the owner was overcome with emotion upon hearing the news, stating, "She cried with joy."

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She cried with joy.