Snab company in Italy found a one million euro winning ticket among the trash

The waste management company informed the AFP agency that a one-million-euro winning ticket was discovered in a garbage container in Italy after the winner approached the garbage truck workers to help her find it.

Roberto Nicola Toscano, an administrator for the SAMB company in the southern region of Puglia, Italy, reported that the instant winning ticket 'miraculously remained intact' after the workers sifted through piles of trash on their truck.

Toscano explained that when a woman went to check her ticket at a local store after the draw on Sunday, the machine showed that it was 'not eligible for payment.' This happened because small retailers can only exchange smaller winnings.

However, the woman, who remained anonymous, did not realize she had won a major jackpot. Toscano noted that 'the winner always used the same numbers because they were connected to a loved one.'

When she returned home from the store, a family member told her that her usual numbers had won. They immediately returned to the store but found that the ticket had already been thrown away and the trash collected. She contacted Toscano.

'We traced the ticket without high hopes of finding it, as it had already been collected by the garbage truck,' Toscano told AFP. However, they managed to luckily identify and stop the correct truck.

Given the risk associated with potentially hazardous material in the waste, they transported the vehicle to a specialized search-equipped company, he added. The workers searched for over a day, finding various tickets and receipts.

'Among them was the receipt we were looking for, and it miraculously remained intact,' Toscano told AFP on Tuesday. When he told the winner that they had found it, 'she burst into tears of emotion,' he continued. 'I would hug her, but we spoke on the phone.'

The averted disaster did not come free. SAMB, located in Bitonto near Bari, is a public organization, meaning the search costs would have fallen to taxpayers. Toscano stated that he asked the woman to sign an agreement to 'cover all additional expenses' incurred—a rate that undoubtedly paid off.

At least six people died and 26 were injured in a collision between an RV and a bus, which led to a chain accident on national road 79 Ternana, between Lazio and Umbria in Italy.

The RV, heading to Terni, allegedly drove into the oncoming lane, intruding into the bus's lane of travel on the highway towards Rieti. According to authorities cited by the Ansa agency, a severe impact involving two passenger cars completely destroyed the RV.

Among the deceased were two bus drivers and two passengers, as well as two people from the RV.

The Umbria region activated its large-scale emergency plan, with many rescuers arriving from Lazio as well. Helicopters from both regions transported the seriously injured to hospitals in Rome, Rieti, and Terni. Another eight injured individuals were transported to hospitals in Perugia, Spoleto, and Foligno.

The President of the Umbria region, Stefania Proietti, was present at the Civil Protection command post of the municipality of Terni, which was set up at the upper ticket counter of the De L'Armore waterfall, and called the accident a 'huge tragedy.' She emphasized that 'the public health system mobilized promptly. Our staff saved lives.'

The President of the Lazio region, Francesco Rocca, also expressed deep sorrow and serious concern about the consequences of this extremely serious accident. He stated that his thoughts are primarily directed towards the victims and their families affected by the terrible tragedy. He expressed solidarity with all the injured, their loved ones, and all the bus passengers who are experiencing moments of fear and disorientation. He noted that in a moment of such deep pain, the entire regional community unites with the victims, the injured, the involved passengers, and their families, sharing their anxiety and suffering.

The Terni prosecutor's office launched an investigation to identify potential culprits. An order was issued to confiscate the involved vehicles and bodies. The road was closed for several hours, but by evening, the judge permitted the removal of the bus, the RV, the two passenger cars, as well as the victims, whose identities are yet to be established.