The Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu, a former Chelsea player who played for Hatayspor, a team in the Turkish top flight, was found dead in the rubble of the earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria.
The body of the 31-year-old attacker was found under the rubble of the building where he lived in Antioch.
" His belongings are still being removed, his phone was also found ," said the player's agent Murat Uzunmehmet.
According to Turkish media, the 31-year-old former Chelsea and Newcastle player was under the rubble of the Rönesans residence, a 12-storey tower that collapsed in the earthquake. The Ghanaian embassy in Turkey and the Ghana Football Federation initially claimed that the striker had been found alive, but this information was later revealed to be false.
The builder of the luxury residence-turned-ruin, where 800 people are believed to be buried, was arrested last week as he attempted to leave Turkey .
Atsu joined Turkish club Hatayspor last September, based in Antioch province, near the epicenter of the massive earthquake that hit Turkey on 6 February.
The death toll has meanwhile exceeded 45 thousand and is destined to increase, given the many missing still under the rubble of 264 thousand destroyed buildings : the victims are 39,672 in Turkey, 5,800 in Syria, from where there have been no further updates for days.
(Unioneonline/L)
