Earthquakes

TWO pairs of Christian Atsu’s shoes have been found in the rubble in Turkey, his agent revealed today in a heartbreaking update. The ex-Newcastle and Chelsea player was last seen at his home in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, which was destroyed in the devastating earthquake.
Christian Atsu still remains missing in TurkeyCredit: Getty
Relatives of Atsu have helped in the search for the missing football aceCredit: Getty
Debris of the building where Atsu was livingCredit: Getty
His agent Nana Sechere confirmed the 31-year-old has yet to be found as the search continues.
But two pairs of the Ghanian’s shoes have been discovered in the rubble of his apartment building.
The football ace has been missing since the massive 7.8 magnitude quake stuck early on Monday, February 6.
Concerns are growing over Atsu’s welfare as the death toll continues to rise in Syria and Turkey.
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There have been conflicting reports that suggested he had been pulled from the rubble, but these have since been denied by his club Hatayspor.
Sechere has now given an update on the situation via his Twitter page.
Sechere said: “We still have not located Christian.
“I am at the quake site in Hatay with Christian’s family.
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“The scenes are unimaginable and our hearts are broken for all the people affected.
“During my time here, we have been able to locate Christian Atsu’s exact room location and we have found two pairs of his shoes.”
Atsu has been missing for nine days, which Sechere said was devastating.
Sechere said: “Yesterday we received confirmation that thermal imagery was showing signs of up to five lives.
“However, I am told that the only real confirmation of life is through sight, smell and sound, and unfortunately we were not able to locate Christian.
“This is a difficult situation and we are extremely grateful to all the Turkish and foreign rescue teams, local civilians and volunteers for their efforts and response in rescuing survivors.
“However, we urgently need more resources, including a translator on the ground.
“Things are moving incredibly slow and as a result of that many rescues are being delayed, and lives are being lost due to the lack of resources available to the workers.
“It is unfortunate that the club is not on the ground with us, side by side, in the search for Christian.
“Their position and influence, accompanied with their local knowledge would be extremely helpful.
“We implore the President of the club and mayor of Hatay, Lütfü Savaş to provide additional resources to speed up the rescue efforts as a priority.” 
The heartbreaking pleas follow a confusing turn of events, in which some reports said Atsu had been rescued.
The night the quake struck, a video showed rescuers with search lights sifting through the wreckage of Atsu’s apartment block.
His voice was then heard in the rubble, along with that of Hatayspor’s Sporting Director Taner Savut, according to local media.
News then followed that he had been saved in a miracle rescue, which has now been disproved.
Tragically, just hours before the quake struck, Atsu scored deep into stoppage time on Saturday to secure a 1-0 win over Kasimpasa.
“Important win for the team. Happy to be on the scoresheet,” he tweeted.
Footage showed Atsu being mobbed by his teammates as ecstatic fans celebrated the win, along with messages praying for him to be found.
Big-hearted Sun readers have so far raised £1million in response to the devastation.
All money from the Sun Earthquake Appeal will be donated to the British Red Cross for a major on-the-ground mobilisation.
Atsu joined Chelsea from Porto for £3.5million in 2013 but didn’t make a single appearance for the Premier League giants.
Read More on The Sun
He also took in loans at Vitesse, Everton, Bournemouth, Malaga and Newcastle.
And the Magpies made his deal permanent in 2017 after Atsu played a key role in their promotion from the Championship.
Rescuers searching for Atsu is the rubble of his apartment blockCredit: Twitter/@ajansspor
Atsu, 31, remains missing following the horror earthquakes in TurkeyCredit: PA
Just hours before the earthquake, Atsu scored a last minute free kickCredit: Twitter
An aerial view of collapsed buildings in Kahramanmaras as search and rescue efforts continueCredit: Getty More

CHRISTIAN Atsu’s kids learned their dad was still missing through the radio after believing he had been found, his heartbroken partner said.The whereabouts of former Chelsea star Atsu, 31, remain unclear after he became trapped under rubble when the building he was in Turkey collapsed during a horror earthquake.
Christian Atsu, 31, remains missing following the horror earthquakes in TurkeyCredit: PA
His partner Marie Rupio said their kids found out he still hadn’t been found from the radioCredit: BBC
An aerial view of collapsed buildings in Kahramanmaras as search and rescue efforts continueCredit: Getty
Atsu, who joined Hatayspor last summer, was on the ninth floor of an apartment block when a powerful 7.5 magnitude quake struck on Monday.
Hatayspor’s vice president reported on Tuesday he had been found alive in the wreckage and rushed to hospital in Kahramanmaras.
But the following day, Atsu’s agent Nana Sechere said his whereabouts were “unconfirmed”.
Atsu’s tearful partner Claire Rupio said their two sons and daughter found out he was still missing when they heard it on the radio.
More on the earthquake
She told BBC news from Newcastle: “It was quite shocking, as you can imagine, with the club confirming that he has been found alive and taken to hospital.
“And 11 hours later, my children had to hear it from the radio saying that they still don’t know where he is.

“I know that his agent is there and they are trying their best to find him, so I trust that he will bring me the news that if he sees him or speaks to him.
“But it’s quite confusing, everything.”
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Claire said the Ghana ace was living with his teammates in Turkey and she and their kids last spoke to him on Saturday morning
The mum added: “All I know is that currently his agent is in Turkey, and he’s trying to get to the place where it happened.
“They know where the building is, and they’re trying their best to rescue everybody.
“They know that there are people still under the rubble, but the problem is that they don’t have the equipment necessary to get them out.
“So he is still missing, and we don’t know where he is.”
The massive 7.8 magnitude quake stuck early on Monday with such force that it moved the country 10ft.
Two further earthquakes struck in the 24 hours after the initial tremor, leaving a trail of destruction stretching for hundreds of miles along Turkey’s border with Syria.
Video showed rescuers with searchlights sifting through the wreckage of Atsu’s apartment block on Monday night.
His voice was then heard in the rubble, along with that of Hatayspor’s Sporting Director Taner Savut, local media reported.
But despite reports he had been pulled from the wreckage, his whereabouts remain unclear.
Just hours before the first quake struck, Atsu scored deep into stoppage time on Saturday to secure a 1-0 win over Kasimpasa.
He tweeted: “Important win for the team. Happy to be on the scoresheet.”
The death toll has now surpassed the grim milestone of 22,000.
Turkey’s disaster-management agency said more than 19,300 people had been confirmed killed in the disaster so far in Turkey, with more than 77,000 injured.
More than 3,300 have been confirmed killed in Syria, bringing the total number of dead to more than 22,000.
Some 12,000 buildings in Turkey have either collapsed or sustained serious damage, according to Turkey’s minister of environment and urban planning, Murat Kurum.
Generous Sun readers have now raised £850,000 and Britain will send aid workers to help those whose lives have been shattered by Monday’s destructive 7.8 earthquake.
Atsu joined Chelsea from Porto for £3.5million in 2013 but didn’t make a single appearance for the Premier League giants.
He also took in loans at Vitesse, Everton, Bournemouth, Malaga and Newcastle.
Read More on The Sun
And the Magpies made his deal permanent in 2017 after Atsu played a key role in their promotion from the Championship.
He then signed a one-year contract with Hatayspor last summer.
Rescuers used searchlights to hunt for survivors in Atsu’s apartment blockCredit: Twitter/@ajansspor

It is thought thousands remain trapped under rubbleCredit: Reuters
Rescuers are trying to listen for survivors stuck under collapsed buildingsCredit: Reuters More

CHRISTIAN Atsu’s agent has flown to Turkey to find out what’s happened to the player, who was buried in the rubble of the earthquake.Mystery surrounds the fate of the ex-Newcastle and Chelsea player, 31, amid reports he was pulled from the wreckage of his apartment but couldn’t be found in hospital.
It was initially reported Christian Atsu was found under the rubbleCredit: Getty
Rescuers used searchlights to hunt for survivors in his apartment blockCredit: Twitter/@ajansspor
Atsu was found alive in the wreckage after plunging from the ninth floor of the apartment building in Kahramanmaras, his agent initially said.
And a spokesman for his club Hayatspor said on Tuesday the winger had been rushed to hospital with unspecified injuries after a miracle rescue.
But Atsu’s agent Nana Sechere has revealed the star’s whereabouts remain unknown and he’s now travelled to Turkey.
“I am currently in Istanbul. The situation remains the same, Christian Atsu is yet to be found,” he tweeted.

“Unless I see Christian, or speak with him, I have no further updates.”
Earlier he said “we are yet to confirm Christian’s whereabouts” amid what was a “devastating time for his family and we are doing everything we can to locate Christian”.
Hayatspor’s doctor has said that efforts to locate the Ghana ace and club sporting director Taner Savut in hospital had proved fruitless – leading to fears he may still be in danger.
“When we heard the news about Taner Savut and Christian Atsu that they were taken to the Dortyol Hospital, we went to the hospital and they were not there,” said Gurbey Kahveci, according to Hurriyet.
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He added that at present “unfortunately Taner and Christian Atsu” are being regarded as “not found”.
To add to the confusion, the doctor’s comments come despite Ghana’s ambassador to Turkey saying she had told by officials the player had been found.
The massive 7.8 magnitude quake stuck early on Monday with such force that it moved the country 10ft.
The death toll has now passed the threshold of 17,000 as an expert warned that statistically, today is the day when rescue workers stop finding people alive.
Two further earthquakes struck in the 24 hours after the initial tremor, leaving a trail of destruction stretching for hundreds of miles along Turkey’s border with Syria.
Video showed rescuers with search lights sifting through the wreckage of Atsu’s apartment block during on Monday night.
His voice was then heard in the rubble, along with that of Hatayspor’s Sporting Director Taner Savut, local media reported.
Sechere said he last heard from Atsu at midnight on Sunday, shortly before the quake struck at around 4.20am.
“Christian and his team-mates were playing poker until 3.30am at a friend’s apartment,” he told the Mirror.
“The journey back to his apartment was around half an hour.
“He returned at 4am and the earthquake started around 20 minutes later.
“I was hoping he was awake and that the earthquake hadn’t happened while he was sleeping. He was in an 11-storey building and he was on the ninth floor.”
The London-based agent said he received a call from a club official at 5am asking if he’d heard from the player.
“He told me Christian’s building had been completely destroyed and that they couldn’t get hold of him,” he said.
“The club officials were trying to help me find him but it was so hard because, understandably, they were trying to find their own friends and families as well.”
Eventually he received confirmation from the club that Atsu was safe at 6am on Tuesday morning.
“They told me that he was in hospital and that he is stable,” he said.
Following Sechere’s initial comments, Ambassador Francisca Ashietey-Odunton told Ghana TV that the “ministry of foreign affairs here assured me that he has been found”.
Just hours before the quake struck, Atsu scored deep into stoppage time on Saturday to secure a 1-0 win over Kasimpasa.
“Important win for the team. Happy to be on the scoresheet,” he tweeted.
Footage showed Atsu being mobbed by his teammates as ecstatic fans celebrated the win, along with messages praying for him to be found.
Big-hearted Sun readers have so far raised £500,000 in response to the devastation.
All money from the Sun Earthquake Appeal will be donated to the British Red Cross for a major on-the-ground mobilisation.
Atsu joined Chelsea from Porto for £3.5million in 2013 but didn’t make a single appearance for the Premier League giants.
Read More on The Sun
He also took in loans at Vitesse, Everton, Bournemouth, Malaga and Newcastle.
And the Magpies made his deal permanent in 2017 after Atsu played a key role in their promotion from the Championship.
Scan this QR code to donate to The Sun Earthquake Appeal to help victims
Just hours before the earthquake, Atsu scored a last minute free kickCredit: Twitter More

FOOTBALL chiefs are desperately searching for ex-Premier League ace Christian Atsu after he was rescued from the rubble of his home in the Turkey earthquake.The ex-Newcastle and Chelsea player, 31, was found alive in the wreckage after plunging from the ninth floor of the apartment building in Kahramanmaras, his agent initially said.
Christian Atsu was found in the rubble of the earthquakeCredit: Getty
The former Chelsea player plunged from the ninth floorCredit: Twitter/@ajansspor
And a spokesman for his club Hayatspor said on Tuesday the winger had been rushed to hospital with unspecified injuries after a miracle rescue.
But today Atsu’s agent Nana Sechere revealed the star’s whereabouts remain unknown.
“Following yesterday’s update from the club that Christian had been pulled out alive, we are yet to confirm Christian’s whereabouts,” he tweeted.
“As you can imagine, this continues to be a devastating time for his family and we are doing everything we can to locate Christian.”
READ MORE ON TURKEY
Hayatspor’s doctor has said that efforts to locate the Ghana ace and club sporting director Taner Savut in hospital had proved fruitless – leading to fears he may still be in danger.
“When we heard the news about Taner Savut and Christian Atsu that they were taken to the Dortyol Hospital, we went to the hospital and they were not there,” said Gurbey Kahveci, according to Hurriyet.
He added that at present “unfortunately Taner and Christian Atsu” are being regarded as “not found”.
To add to the confusion, the doctor’s comments come despite Ghana’s ambassador to Turkey saying she had told by officials the player had been found.
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The massive 7.8 magnitude quake stuck early on Monday with such force that it moved the country 10ft and killed 11,200 people.
Two further earthquakes struck in the 24 hours after the initial tremor, leaving a trail of destruction stretching for hundreds of miles along Turkey’s border with Syria.
Video showed rescuers with search lights sifting through the wreckage of Atsu’s apartment block during on Monday night.
His voice was then heard in the rubble, along with that of Hatayspor’s Sporting Director Taner Savut, local media reported.
Sechere said he last heard from Atsu at midnight on Sunday, shortly before the quake struck at around 4.20am.
“Christian and his team-mates were playing poker until 3.30am at a friend’s apartment,” he told the Mirror.
“The journey back to his apartment was around half an hour.
“He returned at 4am and the earthquake started around 20 minutes later.
“I was hoping he was awake and that the earthquake hadn’t happened while he was sleeping. He was in an 11-storey building and he was on the ninth floor.”
The London-based agent said he received a call from a club official at 5am asking if he’d heard from the player.
“He told me Christian’s building had been completely destroyed and that they couldn’t get hold of him,” he said.
“The club officials were trying to help me find him but it was so hard because, understandably, they were trying to find their own friends and families as well.”
Eventually he received confirmation from the club that Atsu was safe at 6am on Tuesday morning.
“They told me that he was in hospital and that he is stable,” he said.
Following Sechere’s initial comments, Ambassador Francisca Ashietey-Odunton told Ghana TV that the “ministry of foreign affairs here assured me that he has been found”.

It comes as…

The death toll has now reached more than 11,200 but up to 20,000 are feared dead across Turkey and Syria.
A series of aftershocks have hampered rescue efforts after the collapse of more than 11,000 buildings.
At least three Brits are missing in the chaos, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said.
Trapped victims have reportedly been sending desperate voice notes begging for help.
A grieving father was seen holding the lifeless hand of his daughter whose body was trapped in a destroyed building in Kahramanmaras.
A newborn baby was also pulled alive from the wreckage of a collapsed building in Jindires, Syria, after his mother died giving birth.
Aid and rescuers are pouring in from across the world, including from the UK and war-torn Ukraine.
The Sun has launched the Earthquake Appeal to raise money to help respond to the destruction.

Just hours before the quake struck, Atsu scored deep into stoppage time on Saturday to secure a 1-0 win over Kasimpasa.
“Important win for the team. Happy to be on the scoresheet,” he tweeted.
Footage showed Atsu being mobbed by his teammates as ecstatic fans celebrated the win, along with messages praying for him to be found.
Big-hearted Sun readers have so far raised £250,000 in response to the devastation.
All money from the Sun Earthquake Appeal will be donated to the British Red Cross for a major on-the-ground mobilisation.
Atsu joined Chelsea from Porto for £3.5million in 2013 but didn’t make a single appearance for the Premier League giants.
Read More on The Sun
He also took in loans at Vitesse, Everton, Bournemouth, Malaga and Newcastle.
And the Magpies made his deal permanent in 2017 after Atsu played a key role in their promotion from the Championship.
Just hours before the earthquake, Atsu scored a last minute free kickCredit: Twitter More