Christian Atsu's whereabouts still unknown after Turkey earthquake, say club Hatayspor and agent
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Published 08/02/2023 at 17:14 GMT
Christian Atsu's whereabouts are still unknown, according to Volkan Demirel, director at Atsu's club Hatayspor. Atsu, 31, was caught in the earthquake which has killed over 11,000 people in Turkey and Syria. It was reported that he had been pulled from the rubble of a building, but Demirel and Atsu's agent have now said otherwise. Atsu played for Newcastle, Chelsea, Everton and Bournemouth.
Christian Atsu
Image credit: Getty Images
Former Newcastle winger Christian Atsu is still missing after an earthquake in Turkey, despite previous reports that he had been rescued from the rubble of a building.
There has been confusion and mixed reporting over Atsu’s whereabouts since the earthquake, which has killed over 11,000 people in Turkey and Syria.
The Ghanaian Football Association said on Tuesday that Atsu has been “successfully rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building”.
However, Volkan Demirel, director at Atsu's club Hatayspor, has now said the 31-year-old has still not been located.
"There is no information on his whereabouts yet, we don't know where he is," Demirel told Reuters.
"It's not the case that he was pulled out or taken anywhere else."
Atsu’s agent Nana Sechere has also said the footballer’s whereabouts are unknown.
“Following yesterday’s update from the club that, Christian had been pulled out alive, we are yet to confirm Christian’s whereabouts,” Sechere wrote on Twitter.
“As you can imagine, this continues to be a devastating time for his family and we are doing everything we can to locate Christian.
Sechere had said on Tuesday that club officials had told him Atsu had been "pulled out of the rubble alive".
Atsu, who had spells with Newcastle, Chelsea, Everton and Bournemouth, joined Hatayspor in September.
He was caught in the earthquake hours after scoring an injury-time winner.
Ghana's ambassador to Turkey, Francisca Ashietey-Odunton, told radio station Joy FM there was "confusion" over Atsu’s location.
"Yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here informed me that they wanted to confirm if Christian Atsu had been found and rescued, and sent to a medical centre," she said.
"However, in all the confusion - which is understandable under the circumstances [as you are rescued you are put in an ambulance and sent to the hospital] - they are not sure yet which particular hospital or health facility he has been sent to.
"This morning again, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has assured me they are working feverishly to find out which facility he was sent to and will get back to me as soon as possible because I have been on them that I need to go and see him."
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