Former Newcastle United midfielder Christian Atsu has been rescued from the rubble of a Turkish building which collapsed during the devastating earthquake in the country on Monday, according to the Ghana Football Association. The 31-year-old Ghana international, now playing his football with Turkish Super Lig side Hatayspor, was unaccounted for alongside his club’s sporting director Taner Savut in the aftermath of the disaster.
There were conflicting reports about Atsu’s status on Monday evening, but Ghana’s national football governing body provided a positive update on social media on Tuesday morning. A Ghana Football Association tweet read: “Update: We’ve received some positive news that Christian Atsu has been successfully rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building and is receiving treatment. Let’s continue to pray for Christian.”
There was no mention of Savut in the post. Hatayspor also did not provide any updates via their own social media channels.