Former Premier League footballer Christian Atsu has been found dead after the Turkey earthquake

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Former Premier League footballer Christian Atsu was found dead nearly two weeks after the earthquake in Turkey, his agent has confirmed.

It is believed that the Ghanaian star, who joined the Turkish club Hatayspor last September and previously played for Chelsea and Newcastle, was living in a compound in Antakya that killed hundreds of people after it collapsed.

On Friday, club director Fatih Elik revealed that he was scheduled to leave Turkey hours before the earthquake struck, but decided to stay after scoring an important goal for his team.

Christian Atsu pictured during his time with Newcastle United

(Reuters)

“That was his destiny. He had a ticket to go but because he signed up, he changed his mind about leaving. He was caught in an earthquake on his happiest day,” said Mr. Elek.

His agent, Nana Secher, announced on Saturday morning that the body of the former Newcastle United player had been found – 11 days after the earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I must announce to all well-wishers that unfortunately Christian Atsu’s body was recovered this morning,” he said.

My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their prayers and support. I ask that while we make the necessary arrangements, everyone respects the privacy of the family during this very difficult time.”

The death toll in Turkey and Syria has now passed 45,000 as rescue teams continue to pull people alive from the rubble of buildings destroyed by the world’s deadliest earthquake in more than a decade.

Members of the NGO Deathcare Embalming Team, left, and Turkish Kurt-Ar inspect the bucket of an excavator as they search for the bodies of people who died during the earthquake in Kahramanmaras

(AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Millions of people have been left homeless, and for families still awaiting relatives back in Turkey, there is growing anger over what they see as corrupt building practices and deeply flawed urban development that has resulted in the disintegration of thousands of homes and businesses.

The building where Atsu is believed to have lived, the Ronsans Residence (Renaissance Residence), was one such structure that collapsed.

While there were initial reports that Atsu had been rescued shortly after the magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 earthquakes occurred on February 6, the footballer’s agent subsequently posted messages on Twitter stating that Atsu had not yet been found.

Mr Setcher had issued another update on Tuesday confirming that while two pairs of his shoes had been found, that was still the case, with a series of tweets saying: “It’s been nine days since the earthquake and we still haven’t been able to locate Christian.

This aerial view shows collapsed buildings during ongoing rescue operations in Kahramanmaras

(AFP/Getty Images)

“I am at the earthquake site in Hatay with Christian’s family. The scenes are unimaginable and our hearts are broken for all those affected. During my time here, we were able to locate the exact location of Christian Atsu’s room, and we found two pairs of his shoes.

“Yesterday we received confirmation that thermal images show signs of the presence of up to five spirits, however, I was told the only true confirmation of life is through sight, smell and sound, and unfortunately we were unable to locate Christian.

“This is a difficult situation and we are very grateful to all Turkish and foreign rescue teams, local civilians and volunteers for their efforts and response in rescuing the survivors. However, we desperately need more resources, including a translator, on the ground.

“Things are going very slowly, and as a result, many rescues are delayed, and lives are lost due to the lack of resources available to workers. It is unfortunate that the club is not on the ground with us, shoulder to shoulder, in the search for Christian.

Their location and influence combined with their local knowledge would be very beneficial. We appeal to the President of the Club and the Mayor of Hatay, Loto Savas, to provide additional resources to accelerate rescue efforts as a priority.”

This map shows the approximate centers of the first two earthquakes and two major aftershocks

(Freelancer / Datawrapper)

Turkey promised to investigate anyone suspected of responsibility for the building collapse and ordered the detention of more than 100 suspects, including developers.

Meanwhile, mosques around the world held funeral prayers in absentia for the dead, many of whom were unable to receive full burial rites due to the severity of the disaster.

And in Kahramanmaras, the city in southeastern Turkey that was closest to the epicenter, about a thousand people gathered on Friday afternoon outside the Erzurumluoglu mosque in the center of the country, which is likely to collapse, to join funeral prayers.

“This is something every Muslim needs to do,” said Ahmet Akburak, an engineer who lost seven relatives in the earthquake. “We are glad we were able to get their bodies out. But many people have become one with the debris.”

Additional reporting by agencies

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