Christian Atsu's recovery from a collapsed building in Turkey has been labelled 'miraculous' after the former Newcastle United star was pulled from vast rubble on Tuesday morning. Atsu and a number of his Hatayspor team-mates and staff were trapped, some of whom are still unaccounted for, when their building in Antakya collapsed following a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in southern Turkey and northern Syria.
The quake, which was followed by a 7.5-magnitude blast shortly after, could be felt in Turkey, Syria, Israel, Cyprus and Lebanon. The death toll continues to rise in the thousands with unprecedented damage and disruption across a number of cities.
Fears for Atsu's well-being grew on Monday after it was revealed the former Premier League winger was trapped among the rubble alongside Hatayspor sporting director Taner Savut. Speculation was rife that Atsu had been recovered on Monday evening but official confirmation only came via Hatayspor vice-president Mustafa Ozat on Tuesday morning.
READ MORE: Ex-Newcastle United star Christian Atsu found alive after Turkey earthquake
“Christian Atsu was removed injured. Our sporting director, Taner Savut, is unfortunately still under the rubble," he told Radyo Gol. "We are coming towards the end of the most dangerous hours."
Unconfirmed reports suggest Atsu had trouble breathing among being rescued, while other outlets claim he has suffered an injury to his right foot. The player is yet to speak to the media since being found.
Abdul Hayye Yartey, a Ghanian football coach and a friend of Atsu, admits his recovery is 'miraculous' after the entire country sent their prayers to the missing footballer. “This is huge and miraculous," he told the Ghana News Agency. "To be under the debris for about 24 hours and come out safe is great news. We are all happy here and we pray he didn’t suffer major injuries.
“Yesterday, when I got in touch with his orphanage, the director told me the kids were crying and praying for his safety. Atsu helps people he comes across everywhere, and for me, there is much blessing in giving."
Atsu's team-mates Bertug Yıldırım and Burak Oksuz are also said to have been pulled out of the rubble. Club officials Ekrem Ekşioğlu, Osman Ateş and Kerim Alici were also saved. Alici took to Instagram late on Monday evening to plead for help in the rescue effort and has since urged for more resources to be sent to Antakya and Hatay to help search for survivors.
Fixtures set to be played in Turkey's top flight this weekend have been postponed by a week and all Monday games including Ümraniyespor vs Adana Demirspor, Giresunspor vs Kayserispor and Fenerbahçe vs Konyaspor will be played at a later date yet to be determined.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced a three-month state of emergency in 10 provinces worst-affected the earthquakes. More than 5,000 people have been killed across the affected countries as search and rescue efforts continue.
Atsu, who joined Turkish side Hatayspor last year, scored the winner for his side on Sunday evening, just hours before disaster struck. After the game, Atsu tweeted: "Important win for the team. Happy to be on the scoresheet."
The 31-year-old featured 75 times for Newcastle over a four-year period and also featured for Chelsea and Everton in the Premier League. Atsu left the Magpies in 2021 before joining Saudi club Al Raed.
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