Black Stars’ Christian Atsu reportedly missing after earthquake in Turkey
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The Black Stars forward Christian Atsu, who plays for Hatayspor in Turkey, is reportedly one of the hundreds of people still trapped beneath the rubble of Monday morning’s terrible earthquake there, according to a number of Turkish media reports.
The search and rescue team is reportedly looking for the 30-year-old and Taner Savut, the club’s director.
Over the weekend, Atsu played for the team in their triumph over Kasimpasa in the Turkish first division, scoring the game’s lone goal.
Say a prayer for Christian Atsu
— KhaLif (@Nuru_Khalif) February 6, 2023
🚨Former Chelsea and Newcastle United star Christian Atsu is amongst the victims reportedly trapped under rubble after a huge earthquake hit Turkey as search and rescue efforts get underway. 🇹🇷🙏
— Ekrem KONUR (@Ekremkonur) February 6, 2023
In the early hours of Monday, a strong earthquake near the Syrian border in south-eastern Turkey killed more than 1,000 people while they slept and trapped many more.
According to the US Geological Survey, the 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in the city of Gaziantep at 04:17 local time (01:17 GMT) with a depth of 17.9 kilometers (11 miles).
A second earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 struck the Elbistan district of the Kahramanmaras province hours later.
500 people have died in Syria and over 900 in Turkey so far.
Following a stint in Saudi Arabia, the 30-year-old Black Star signed a one-year contract to join the Turkish team.
Our thoughts and prayers with Cristian Atsu and every other victim as well.
READ ALSO: Turkey and Syria: second large earthquake strikes as death toll rises to over 1,500 – latest updates