A former Chelsea and Newcastle United star, Christian Atsu, is reportedly among those trapped under the rubble in Turkey after a massive 7.7‑magnitude earthquake struck the southern city of Gaziantep on Monday. The search‑and‑rescue operation is ongoing, and local media say rescuers are desperately trying to locate the Ghanaian player. Atsu joined Turkish Süper Lig club Hatayspor last summer after spells with Chelsea and Newcastle. While several members of his new team have already been rescued, Atsu remains missing after the quake hit hard in Kahramanmaraş, where Hatayspor is based.
Along with Atsu, Hatayspor’s sporting director, Taner Savut, also remains missing beneath the debris at his home. Reports indicate that other football players are still unaccounted for as well. According to Al Jazeera, the initial tremor was followed by a series of aftershocks and a 7.5‑magnitude quake in the afternoon, pushing the death toll to nearly 1,800 and destroying dozens of buildings.
Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority confirmed that the earthquake struck at 4:17 a.m. local time, describing it as the country’s most severe seismic event in years. The death toll continues to rise, approaching 1,800 across both Turkey and Syria. Nigeria’s President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retired), expressed willingness to support Turkey and Syria “in any way possible,” while also offering condolences to the governments and peoples of the two nations and to those who have lost family and friends in the disaster.
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