Even though Christian Atsu survived the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, he still bears the scars from it. The 31-year-old former Chelsea and Newcastle forward was found under the shadows of a building this past Tuesday after several hours of concern.
According to reports from several Portuguese and British media outlets, the Ghanaian player for the Turkish club Hatayspor, based in the southern Turkish province of Hatay, close to the epicentre of the violent earthquake, suffers from abdominal injuries and may have breathing difficulties, according to RMCSPORT. The doctors were compelled to hospitalize him due to his condition.
5,000 fatalities and thousands of injuries
"I have some good news. The president of the Ghanaian association has just informed me that Christian Atsu has been found in Hatay," said ambassador Francisca Ashietey-Odunton on Wednesday on Ghanaian radio station Asaase. The Ghana Football Federation also confirmed that the player had been found alive, writing on Twitter that "Christian Atsu has been secouru with success from the gallows of the building that has been effonded and is currently receiving care."
More than 5,000 people were killed by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, while many more were injured and left without shelter as a result of the powerful aftershocks. This final result is still tentative.