Christian Atsu, a professional soccer player who once played in England’s Premier League, was rescued from under the rubble in the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, the vice president of his current team, Turkey’s Hatayspor, said on Tuesday.
“Christian Atsu was removed, injured,” the team’s vice president, Mustafa Ozat, said on Radyo Gol, a Turkish radio station. “We are coming toward the end of the most dangerous hours.” He said the club’s sporting director, Taner Savut, was still trapped.
Mr. Atsu had been among the thousands of people missing after an earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, causing thousands of people to become 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 based in Hatay, Turkey, about 60 miles west of Aleppo, Syria, was not immediately clear. More than 5,100 people in Turkey and Syria have died in the quake, and that toll is expected to rise. Rescuers worked through the night to pull people from the rubble, but freezing temperatures and snow impeded some rescue efforts.
Vice President Fuat Oktay of Turkey said on Tuesday that more than 8,000 people had been rescued from underneath the wreckage. Earthquake rescues typically occur in the first three days, an expert 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 former goalkeeper of Fenerbahce, an Istanbul team. “I want you to send all the help you can. Not only for Hatay, but for surrounding cities too.”
Mr. Atsu, a member of Ghana’s World Cup team in 2014, has spent the bulk of his career with European clubs, including Porto, Chelsea and Newcastle United. He joined Hatayspor last year.
Source: Soccer - nytimes.com
