Ghana soccer star still missing despite reports he was found alive in rubble amid earthquake devastation
The death toll has climbed to nearly 12,000
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The search for Ghanaian soccer star Christian Atsu is still underway on Wednesday despite earlier reports that Atsu had been rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building following a devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria earlier this week.
The director of Atsu’s current club in Turkey, Hatayspor, told Reuters on Wednesday that the 31-year-old former English Premier League player has not been located in spite of statements from the Ghana Football Association and Confederation of African Football that he had been found and transported to a hospital.
Christian Atsu runs during the Newcastle United Training Session at the Newcastle United Training Centre on January 15, 2021 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
"There is no information on his whereabouts yet, we don't know where he is," Volkan Demirel said. "It's not the case that he was pulled out or taken anywhere else."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Hatayspor spokesman told Turkish media on Monday that Atsu was thought to be in a building that was brought down after a magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and Syria.
The Ghana Football Association tweeted an update on Tuesday that Atsu had been "successfully rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building and is receiving treatment."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Christian Atsu of Newcastle United runs outside to warm up during the FA Cup Fourth Round Replay match between Oxford United and Newcastle United at Kassam Stadium on February 04, 2020 in Oxford, England. (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
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The Confederation of African Football also tweeted on Tuesday that he was "recovering in the hospital" but provided another update confirming that Atsu was still missing.
The death toll on Wednesday had reached nearly 12,000 as rescue teams from two dozen countries have responded to help locals sift through the rubble.
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Experts warned that the realistic window to find any in the subfreezing temperatures was quickly closing.
Chelsea's Pedro, left, and Newcastle United's Christian Atsu vie for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, on, Jan. 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
Atsu, 31, joined Hatayspor, which is based in the southern city of Antakya, last year. He previously played for Everton and Newcastle United.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.