Christian Atsu, an expert soccer player who once played in England’s Premier League, was rescued from under the rubble within the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, the vice chairman of his current team, Turkey’s Hatayspor, said on Tuesday.
“Christian Atsu was removed, injured,” the team’s vice chairman, Mustafa Ozat, said on Radyo Gol, a Turkish radio station. “We’re coming toward the tip of probably the most dangerous hours.” He said the club’s sporting director, Taner Savut, was still trapped.
Mr. Atsu had been among the many 1000’s of individuals missing after an earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, causing 1000’s of individuals to turn into stuck under collapsed buildings. Just hours before the earthquake hit, Mr. Atsu scored his team’s winning goal in its match against Kasimpasa, a team from Istanbul.
The fate of other players for Hatayspor, which is predicated in Hatay, Turkey, about 60 miles west of Aleppo, Syria, was not immediately clear. Greater than 5,100 people in Turkey and Syria have died within the quake, and that toll is anticipated to rise. Rescuers worked through the night to drag people from the rubble, but freezing temperatures and snow impeded some rescue efforts.
Vice President Fuat Oktay of Turkey said on Tuesday that greater than 8,000 people had been rescued from underneath the wreckage. Earthquake rescues typically occur in the primary three days, an authority said.
Through tears, Volkan Demirel, the manager of Hatayspor, on Tuesday appealed on Instagram for assistance for others who still remained under rubble.
“Please help, help,” said Mr. Demirel, the previous goalkeeper of Fenerbahce, an Istanbul team. “I would like you to send all of the assist you can. Not just for Hatay, but for surrounding cities too.”
Mr. Atsu, a member of Ghana’s World Cup team in 2014, has spent the majority of his profession with European clubs, including Porto, Chelsea and Newcastle United. He joined Hatayspor last yr.
