Ghanaian footballer Atsu rescued from Turkish quake, says association

Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu has been rescued from the rubble of the earthquake that killed and injured thousands in Turkey and neighbouring Syria, Ghana´s Football Association confirmed on Tuesday.

Former Newcastle midfielder Atsu, 31, joined Turkish Super Lig side Hatayspor in September, based in the southern province of Hatay near the epicentre of Monday´s massive quake.

"Good news! We´ve received some positive news that Christian Atsu has been successfully rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building and is receiving treatment," Ghana´s football body said on Twitter.

"Let´s continue to pray for Christian," it added.

Ghana´s ambassador to Turkey Francisca Ashietey-Odunton, speaking to Accra-based Asaase Radio, had earlier said that Atsu "has been found," quoting the head of the Ghana association.

The statements did not say when Atsu was extracted from the debris, and gave no details about his condition.

Atsu spent five seasons at Newcastle after an initial campaign on loan playing over 100 games before leaving for Saudi Arabia in 2021.

He won the last of his 60 Ghana national caps in September 2019.

It must be noted that the most powerful earthquake in nearly a century struck Turkey and Syria Monday, levelling buildings and causing tremors felt as far away as Greenland.

The 7.8-magnitude early morning quake, followed hours later by a slightly smaller one, wiped out entire sections of major Turkish cities in a region filled with millions who have fled the civil war in Syria and other conflicts.

Rescuers used heavy equipment and their bare hands to peel back rubble in search of survivors, who they could in some cases hear begging for help under the rubble.

The latest toll showed Monday´s 7.8-magnitude tremor and its aftershocks killing 3,549 people in Turkey and 1,602 in government and rebel-controlled parts of Syria.

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