Just last week, operations at Dubai airport were halted for several hours due to an Emirates plane blowing up. There was one death recorded – a firefighter – but all of the passengers and crew members survived.

Read more about that HERE.

Six days after the incident, one of the passengers won the lotto and he is now being considered as the luckiest man on Earth.

Mohamed Basheer Abdul Khadar was travelling on the plane from his home country, India, to return to work in the UAE. Every time he leaves for India he buys a lottery ticket – and his 17th purchase won R13 million.

Casual.

Speaking to Gulf News newspaper, he told his story:

“I have been working in Dubai for 37 years and I have always felt like this is my country.

“I feel like God gave me a second life when I survived the plane crash, and blessed me with this money to follow all this up by doing good things.”

He said that his escape from the stricken Emirates plane – which blew up soon after its passengers and crew disembarked – was a miracle.

“I value the escape as a more precious gift from God and I knew God saved me for some specific purpose. Probably this is it.”

Mr Khadar added that he hopes to return to India after his retirement to find a job that involves helping children in need in Kerala.

He said that he would not be donating his winnings to charity.

“I will work for others’ wellness and will do something to help the needy. But not by donating money. I know that money will make enemies.

If you won, say, Saturday night’s Powerball draw and got R1 billion, would you be so kind to donate your personal time to helping those in need?

Only one way to find out.

But since the exchange rate is totally in our favour, I’m going to get myself a few tickets – HERE – and make it rain if I do.

[source:bbc]