Whereabouts of footballer Christian Atsu 'still unknown' after Turkey earthquake

Christian Atsu was reportedly pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building following the earthquake but his whereabouts are still unknown, said his club's manager. Credit: PA

The whereabouts of former Newcastle midfielder Christian Atsu remain unknown despite reports he was pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building following earthquakes in Turkey.

On Tuesday, his Super Lig club Hatayspor and the Ghana Football Association claimed the 31-year-old Ghana international had been rescued from the devastation which has killed more than 11,000 people.

However, Atsu, who previously played for Chelsea and Everton, and the club’s sporting director Taner Savut have yet to be located according to Hatayspor manager Volkan Demirel and club doctor Gurbey Kahveci.

“There is no news about Atsu and Taner Savut yet. Wouldn’t I share this if they were in the hospital? I will share it as soon as the news comes,” Demirel told Spor Arena.

"People are working day and night, I hope both of them will be saved. The whole team took shelter in their families.

"I will share everything as information comes.”

Kahveci is quoted as saying: “When we heard the news that he was taken to Dortyol Hospital we especially went and looked, but he was not there.

“At the moment we accept that Savut Taner and Christian Atsu were not found, unfortunately."

Atsu’s agent Nana Sechere said unsubstantiated reports about his client were hampering attempts to find him.“

"Following yesterday’s update from the club that, Christian had been pulled out alive, we are yet to confirm Christian’s whereabouts,” he 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.

“Official updates will be provided as more information comes to light. Please respect the families privacy during this harrowing time, and refrain from spreading unsubstantiated news as this will only hamper the search efforts for Christian.

“Thank you for all your prayers and support.”

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