Dubai: A Kerala man staying in Oman has become the sole winner of the second-tier prize in the ‘Mahzooz’ draw in Dubai and has bagged a cash prize of Dh. 2 million.

Antony, a 39-year-old man hails from Cochin in Kerala and works as a lab technician and has been a resident of Oman for 16 years now. He matched five out of six winning numbers (9-10-16-17-34-36) last Saturday, making him Mahzooz’s fourth millionaire this year. The prize was rolled over to Dh2M after no one won the second prize during the March 20 draw. The first prize of Dh50M is also yet to be won.

“It was incredible winning a big amount of money. When I got the email, I just couldn’t believe it. I never thought that I would get this kind of money in my lifetime.” Antony was quoted as saying by Gulf News.

When asked what he will do with the money he has won, Antony said “I am a good man and I plan to do good with this money, both for my family and for my community. I have some bank loans I want to close but after that, I want to give money to people back in India.”

“I feel blessed and am very grateful to Mahzooz,” said Antony, adding: “From the very first time I read about Mahzooz in the newspaper, I was interested. I have gotten three numbers before and won Dh35 a few times but never thought something this big would come my way. Everyone has been coming up to me and asking about Mahzooz so I’ve been helping them register and showing them how to participate.”

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ISLAMABAD: At least two more cases of poliovirus were reported in Pakistan, taking the number of infections to 52 so far this year, a report said on Friday.

“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of two more wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan," an official statement said.

The fresh infections — a boy and a girl — were reported from the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

“Genetic sequencing of the samples collected from the children is underway," the statement read. Dera Ismail Khan, one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has reported five polio cases so far this year.

Of the 52 cases in the country this year, 24 are from Balochistan, 13 from Sindh, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

There is no cure for polio. Only multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five can keep them protected.