Former Chelsea star Christian Atsu has been discovered alive and rescued from the rubble of the Turkey earthquake after his voice was reportedly heard.
The 31-year-old Ghana ace is believed to have been on the ninth ground of an residence block when two earthquakes rocked Turkey on early on Monday.
Atsu, who has three youngsters with spouse Marie-Claire, performs for Hatayspor, who he joined final summer season.
The earthquake hit arduous in Kahramanmaras, the place Hatayspor are based mostly.
Video confirmed rescuers with search lights sifting by way of the wreckage of his residence block in the course of the night time, The Sun stories.
Rescuers looking the wreckage of his residence heard his voice. Photo: Twitter, @ajansspor.Source: Twitter
According to native media stories, Atsu’s voice was heard within the rubble, together with that of Hatayspor’s Sporting Director Taner Savut.
Hatayspor spokesman Mustafa Ozat reportedly stated: “Christian Atsu was taken out with accidents.
“Our sporting director, Taner Savut, is sadly nonetheless below the rubble.”
Ghana’s ambassador to Turkey, Francisca Ashitey-Odunton, stated she’s acquired data from the nation’s soccer authorities that Atsu “has been discovered”.
Several of his teammates had been dramatically rescued from their properties after the earthquake struck at 4am native time.
Just hours earlier than the quake struck Atsu scored deep into stoppage time on Saturday to safe a 1-0 win over Kasimpasa.
Ghana’s midfielder Christian Atsu has been freed. Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP.Source: AFP
“Important win for the crew. Happy to be on the scoresheet,” he tweeted.
Footage confirmed Atsu being mobbed by his teammates as ecstatic followers celebrated the win, together with messages praying for him to be discovered.
Newcastle and Chelsea had been earlier anxiously awaiting information of their former participant.
A submit on Newcastle’s official Twitter account stated: “Praying for some optimistic information, @ChristianAtsu20.”
While Chelsea tweeted: “We’re praying for you, Christian Atsu.”
Atsu joined Chelsea from Porto for £3.5million in 2013 however didn’t make a single look for the Premier League giants.
Atsu took in loans at Vitesse, Everton, Bournemouth, Malaga and Newcastle.
And the Magpies made his deal everlasting in 2017 after Atsu performed a key position of their promotion from the Championship.
Damaged constructing after in Adana, Turkey. Picture: Oguz Yeter/Anadolu Agency through Getty ImagesSource: Supplied
The ace ended up making 86 appearances for Newcastle earlier than becoming a member of Al-Raed in 2021.
Atsu moved to Hatayspor final summer season and has one aim in 4 video games.
Up to 10,000 are feared useless, together with many youngsters, after two “once-in-a-century” earthquakes rocked Turkey and Syria immediately.
A large 7.8 magnitude shock – one of many greatest for 100 years – was adopted hours later by one other enormous 7.5 magnitude quake.
Frantic survivors used their naked palms to dig by way of the rubble of flattened properties and had been filmed pulling youngsters to security amid scenes of utter destruction.The twin earthquakes additionally sparked tsunami alerts on Mediterranean coasts in Greece, Cyprus and Italy, and shaking was felt as far-off as Egypt and Iran.
— This story initially appeared on thesun.co.uk and has been republished with permission
