Former Newcastle and Chelsea forward Christian Atsu, who has been missing and was feared to have been tragically buried alive beneath the rubble caused by the devastating earthquake that ravaged the southeastern part of Türkiye on Monday, leaving more than 3,300 people dead, has been found alive.
The Ghana international, playing for Turkish club Hatayspor, who was believed to be among those trapped within the recently destroyed building, was miraculously found alive but injured beneath the debris and was rushed to the hospital.
Prior to Atsu's heroic rescue, at least two other Hatayspor players had been plucked from the rubble; however, the Ghanaian forward and the club director Taner Savut remained unaccounted for, according to Hatayspor spokesperson Mustafa Özat.
The 31-year-old Atsu joined Hatayspor, based in the southern city of Antakya, last year after a spell playing in Saudi Arabia.
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked parts of Türkiye and neighboring Syria in the predawn hours of Monday.
The quake was centered in Türkiye’s southeastern province of Kahramanmaras and was felt as far away as Cairo in Egypt. Hours later, a second 7.5 magnitude jolt, possibly an aftershock, struck more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the earthquake's epicenter and caused more destruction.
Turkish authorities said more than 5,000 buildings were destroyed. The death toll is expected to rise.
Before the official announcement of Atsu's status, Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo had offered condolences to the people of Türkiye on his official Facebook account and added, "We pray that our fellow Ghanaian, Christian Atsu, is found safe and sound."
Ibrahim Kwarteng, a friend of Atsu's, had tried to call the forward but to no avail.
Kwarteng runs a foundation in Ghana that helps former prisoners convicted of petty crimes reintegrate into society after their release from jail. He said Atsu was the single largest donor to the foundation.
Newcastle said on its official Twitter account it was "praying for some positive news" regarding Atsu.
His former club Chelsea also shared a heartfelt message on their social media: "We are praying for you, Christian Atsu."