Ghanaian soccer player Christian Atsu found dead under earthquake debris

Ghanaian soccer player Christian Atsu found dead under earthquake debris in Turkey

(CNN) The body of Ghanaian soccer star Christian Atsu was found under rubble on Saturday, almost two weeks after the earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria, according to his agent.

“It is with a heavy heart that I must announce to all well-wishers that Christian Atsu’s body was regrettably recovered this morning,” said Atsu’s agent Nana Sechere tweeted. “My deepest condolences go out to his family and loved ones.”

The Hatayspor player’s body was recovered from under the rubble of a destroyed building in Antakya, Turkey’s state news channel TRT Haber reported on Saturday.

According to his club Hatayaspor on Twitter, his body will be transferred to Ghana. “Peace be with you, beautiful person. There are no words to describe our sadness,” the statement added.

Atsu then disappeared Strength 7.8 Earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on February 6, killing at least 45,513 people with at least 39,672 dead in Turkey, according to the latest figures from Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.

Confusion ensued immediately after, as reports from Turkey originally said Atsu had been found and is in a hospital, but on February 8, Sechere tweeted that contrary to previous reports, it had come to light that Atsu was still missing.

Before joining Hatayspor last year, Atsu represented various English clubs including Chelsea, Everton, Bournemouth and Newcastle.