According to local media reports on Saturday, the remains of former Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu have been discovered following a catastrophic earthquake in Turkey, his manager announced.
At the age of 31, Atsu was caught in a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that shook both Turkey and Syria on February 6, resulting in the deaths of over 43,000 people in both countries.
Initially, there were accounts that the ex-Chelsea and Newcastle player had been rescued a day after the earthquake, but these were later proven to be incorrect.
On Saturday, his Turkish manager Murat Uzunmehmet informed the DHA news agency that Atsu’s body had been discovered in the rubble in the southern Turkish province of Hatay.
“We’ve found his lifeless body. His belongings are still being extracted. His phone was also discovered,” said Uzunmehmet to DHA.
The Ghanaian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed their sorrow at the news, stating that “the elder brother and twin sister of Christian Atsu and an officer of the (Ghanaian) embassy were present at the site when the body was recovered.”
Ghana has announced that it is collaborating with the Turkish authorities to facilitate the transportation of Atsu’s remains back to his home country for funeral rites.
The midfielder played for Chelsea for four seasons before transferring to Newcastle permanently in 2017. He joined Turkish Super Lig side Hatayspor last September.
Following the confirmation of Atsu’s death, Chelsea issued a statement expressing deep sorrow, while Newcastle paid tribute to “a talented player and a special person.”
The statement read: “He will always be remembered fondly by our players, staff, and supporters. After initially joining on loan, he played a crucial role in the Magpies squad that secured the Championship title in 2017 before making a permanent move to help us regain our position in the Premier League.”
Atsu’s body was discovered by search and rescue workers at the Ronesans Residence, a high-rise luxury apartment building in Antakya city, Hatay, where he was staying.
According to state news agency Anadolu, Turkish police detained the building’s contractor at Istanbul airport last week as he appeared to be heading to Montenegro.
