DAILY STAR
Former Chelsea and Newcastle star Christian Atsu is reportedly ‘trapped under rubble’ following a devastating earthquake that has left over a thousand dead in Turkey and Syria.
The Ghanaian plays for Turkish club Hatayspor, who play their football in the region of Kahramanmaras – one of the areas hit hardest by the quake. Several of Atsu’s team-mates were also caught in the disaster, but has since been rescued and moved to safety.
A search-and-rescue operation is currently underway to find the 31-year-old, as well as Hatayspor’s sporting director Taner Savut who is also believed to be buried under the rubble.
Experts say the death toll could rise to 10,000 after two quakes – the first a 7.8 magnitude and the second a 7.5 magnitude – struck in the early hours of Monday morning.
It’s understood that tremors were felt as far away as Egypt and Cyprus, though fatalities are believed to have only occurred in Turkey and Syria.
Atsu netted a 97th-minute winner for his side against Kasimpasa just a few hours before the first earthquake hit, and fans on social media are now praying the winger is found safe and well.
