Ghanaian professional footballer Christian Atsu has been found dead in southern Turkey under the rubble of his residential building which collapsed during the massive earthquakes that shook the country along with Syria. The death of the 31-year-old athlete was confirmed by his Turkish agent and club on Saturday.

Atsu’s manager Murat Uzunmehmet told the local news agency DHA that his body had been found under the rubble in Hatay.

Başımız sağ olsun.

Göçük altında kalarak hayatını kaybeden futbolcumuz Christian Atsu'nun cenazesi memleketi Gana'ya gönderilmek üzere yola çıkmıştır. Seni unutmayacağız Atsu. Mekanın cennet olsun güzel insan. Üzüntümüzün tarifi yok. Huzur içinde uyu. pic.twitter.com/2CSVfwfEuR— Hatayspor (@Hatayspor_FK) February 18, 2023

The former Premier League footballer had been missing since February 6 when the earthquakes devastated southern Turkey and north-western Syria.

Search teams recovered the body of Ghana national player and former Newcastle midfielder beneath the wreckage of the luxury 12-storey building where he had been living in the city of Antakya.

ALSO READ |

Indian Army's tracking system to help smoothen relief work in earthquake-hit Turkey and Syria

“Currently, more items are still being taken out. His phone was also found,” Uzunmehmet said.

Ghana’s ministry of foreign affairs said it had “received the unfortunate news”, as per an Al Jazeera report.

The ministry said in a statement that the elder brother and the twin sister of Atsu and an officer of the Ghanaian embassy were all present at the site when Atsu’s body was pulled out.

Christian Atsu joined Hatayspor, a Turkish Super Lig club based in the southern province of Hatay, in September last year. Hatay province was close to the epicentre of Turkey's massive earthquake.

ALSO READ | How the situation in Turkey might affect Indian companies and trade

Atsu was scheduled to fly out of southern Turkey hours before the earthquakes, Hatayspor’s manager said on Friday. Unfortunately, the Ghanaian footballer opted to stay with the club after he scored the winning goal in a Super Lig match on February 5.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)

First Published:Feb 18, 2023 6:46 PM IST