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Christian Atsu has remained missing since a powerful earthquake struck Turkey and Syria last week, and the former Premier League footballer’s agent on Tuesday asked for more resources to help the ongoing search.
Nana Sechere wrote in a thread of tweets that Atsu’s room was found in his collapsed home in the hard-hit Hatay Province along with two pairs of shoes, but Atsu himself was not.
“Nine days have passed since the earthquake and we still haven’t found Christian,” Sechere wrote. “I am with Christian’s family at the earthquake site in Hatay. The scenes are unimaginable and our hearts are broken for all the people involved.
“Yesterday we received confirmation that thermal imaging showed signs of up to five lives but I am told the only real confirmation of life is by sight, smell and sound and unfortunately we have not been able to locate Christian. This is a difficult situation and we are extremely grateful to all 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 site.”
Atsu, who was in Ghana’s national team at the 2014 World Cup and played for Chelsea, Everton, Bournemouth and Newcastle United in the Premier League, joined Hatayspor in the Turkish Super Lig last year after a brief stint with Saudi club Al-Raed. Officials initially said last week that an injured Atsu had been found, but those reports were proven false amid the chaos and devastation that claimed the lives of nearly 38,000 people.
“Things are moving incredibly slowly and as a result many rescue operations are being delayed and lives are lost due to the lack of resources available to workers,” Sechere wrote. “It is unfortunate that the club are not there alongside us in the search for Christian.
“Her position and influence, coupled with her local knowledge, would be extremely helpful. We are imploring the club’s President and Mayor of Hatay, Lütfü Savaş, to provide additional resources to expedite the rescue effort as a matter of priority.”
Last week, Atsu’s partner also called for more resources to be urgently allocated to rescue efforts.
“I’m still praying and I believe he’s alive,” Claire Rupio, who lives in England, told BBC News. “I am appealing to the Hatayspor club, the Turkish authorities and the British government to send the equipment to get people out of the rubble – in particular my partner and father of my children.
“They need the gear to get them out – without the gear they can’t go that deep. And time is pressing.”