Troy Smith
Ghanaian soccer star Christian Atsu, 31 years old, was declared missing since a 7.8 magnitude earthquake with hundreds of aftershocks rocked Turkey and Syria early last week.
Videos by Rare
Turkish agents have now confirmed that Atsu was found dead in the rubble of his home. The New York Post reports about the matter…
“Atsu’s lifeless body was found under the rubble,” the ex-Chelsea winger’s Turkish agent Murat Uzunmehmet confirmed to reporters in Hatay Saturday.
Atsu was due to fly out of southern Turkey just hours before the quake, but his manager said he chose to stay in the area after scoring the game-winning goal in a Feb. 5 Super Lig match that brought his team to victory in the final minute.
New York Post on Christian Atsu death
Atsu’s manager confirmed his tragic passing on Twitter, giving validity to the shocking reports being released by Turkish officials. See that tweet below…
It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce to all well wishers that sadly Christian Atsu’s body was recovered this morning
— Nana Sechere (@iAmNana7) February 18, 2023
My deepest condolences go to his family and loved ones. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their prayers and support
Atsu, from Ghana, had played for teams Newcastle and Everton. He had most recently moved to the Halay province of Turkey to play for a club called Hatayspoor.
The Chelsea Soccer team aired this special tribute to Atsu during one of their games. See that tribute below…
The Chelsea tribute to Christian Atsu pic.twitter.com/dES5lKUAfE
— Michael Oti Adjei (@OtiAdjei) February 18, 2023
There have been a reported 46,000 deaths from these earthquakes that rocked Syria and Turkey. Who knows how many more deaths will be discovered.
For reference, the most deadly earthquake ever recorded reportedly happened all the way back in 1556. It happened in Shaanxi, China, and claimed the lives of an estimated 833,000.
Though not the deadliest of all time, this earthquake continues to claim thousands of lives. A tragedy!
