The agent of Ghanaian footballer, Christian Atsu has said his whereabouts are unknown, a day after it was reported he was pulled from the rubble.
Atsu plays for Hatayspor and the club’s vice-president Mustafa Özat had said the player was rescued.
“We are doing everything we can to locate Christian,” said Nana Sechere, his agent. “As you can imagine, this continues to be a devastating time for his family.”
Following yesterdays update from the club that, Christian had been pulled out alive, we are yet to confirm Christian’s whereabouts. As you can imagine, this continues to be a devastating time for his family and we are doing everything we can to locate Christian. pic.twitter.com/WKteG3l4cp
— Nana Sechere (@iAmNana7) February 8, 2023
Atsu was amongst those trapped under rubble in Turkey after a huge earthquake.
His manager Mustafa Özat had told Turkish radio that the player has been rescued with injuries after from a building in Hatay.
Hatayspor manager Volkan Demirel told Turkish sport website Spor Arena there was “no news yet” on either Atsu or sporting director Taner Savut, who was reported missing on Monday along with the player.
A search and rescue operation was launched on Monday after Atsu, who formerly played for Chelsea and Newcastle United, was caught up in the 7.7 magnitude earthquake.
The 65-cap Ghana international joined Super Lig club Hataysport last summer. Several members of his new team had to be rescued after the earthquake.
Atsu joined Chelsea as a youngster in 2013 from Porto before being sent on a number of loan spells.
He spent time at Everton and Bournemouth before making a permanent switch to Newcastle United in 2017 having never played a Premier League game for Chelsea.
He left the Magpies having played over 100 games in 2021 to join Saudi side Al-Raed but departed the Middle East for Turkey in the summer. He scored his first goal for the club this weekend, just hours before the earthquake struck.
A massive aftershock with a magnitude of 7.5 hit Turkey’s south hours after the original quake. Reports say it was felt once again in Syria and also Iraqi Kurdistan.
More than 11,000 people in southern Turkey and northern Syria are now known to have been killed.
Major earthquake hits Turkey, Syria; hundreds dead, many trapped
Source: Africafeeds.com
