Largest lottery fever grips nation

Lottery fever gripped Spain on Tuesday as thousands celebrated wins in the El Gordo draw with prizes totaling 2.24 billion euros ($2.45 billion), offering a welcome distraction from political concerns after an inconclusive election.

Winners from across the country flocked to local retail outlets to toast their good fortune with bottles of sparkling cava in the traditional Christmas lottery, the world's largest.

This year's top prize - the eponymous El Gordo, or The Fat One - went to the coastal tourist town of Roquetas de Mar, in the southern province of Almeria, where a group of residents will share at least 452 million euros.