Christian Atsu, the former Newcastle United winger, has been missing for over a week following a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Turkey. The 31-year-old, who has been playing for Hatayspor since last summer, was in the heavily affected Hatay province when the quake struck.
Agent provides update from the quake site
His agent, Nana Sechere, is at the site with the player's family and described the situation as dire. "I am at the quake site in Hatay with Christian’s family," Sechere said. "The scenes are unimaginable and our hearts are broken for all the people affected." He explained that while thermal imagery had suggested possible signs of life, rescue teams had not been able to locate Atsu. Sechere criticised the slow pace of the operation, stating that a lack of resources was delaying rescues and costing lives. He also expressed disappointment that Hatayspor was not present on the ground assisting with the search.
Family and partner appeal for help
Atsu's partner, Claire Rupio, has called for specialised equipment to be sent to the collapsed building where he was residing. Sechere has urged both Hatayspor and local authorities to increase the support for rescue services immediately, emphasising the critical nature of the situation on the ground.
Newcastle's current focus
The team currently sits 12th in the standings with 5 points from four matches, their recent form reading LWDWW. The squad, which fans can view on our squad page, is now working with a goal of 450 minutes for the season, a target that will be tracked in our detailed stats section. Their immediate attention, however, is on the upcoming match detailed in the club's fixtures list.
While the football world focuses on the upcoming match, the thoughts of the Newcastle community are with Atsu and his family. The search for the former Magpie continues in Hatay.
The original report is at Arab News
