Newcastle United are 'praying for positive news' from Turkey after it emerged former Magpies star Christian Atsu was yet to be accounted for following a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in the country. The death toll is rising by the hour after two separate quakes rocked southern Turkey and northern Syria on Sunday night and Monday morning.
The epicentre of the first was near the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep, but the quake was felt across Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Israel and is one of the largest ever recorded in the country. Turkish team Hatayspor are concerned for members of their playing, coaching and technical staff after a building collapsed overnight.
Atsu, who joined the Turkish club in 2022, is reportedly yet to emerge from the rubble along with club translator Emre Aslan. Hatayspor stars Bertug Yıldırım and Burak Oksuz are said to have been found, while club officials Ekrem Ekşioğlu, Osman Ateş and Kerim Alici also came out of the wreckage.
