Season › 2022-23 › News Former Everton winger still missing following massive earthquake in Turkey Lyndon Lloyd 08/02/2023 28comments | Jump to last Updated One-time Everton and Chelsea player Christian Atsu cannot be accounted for despite reports he had been rescued from the rubble after the building he was in collapsed amid the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in the early hours of Monday morning. According to his agent, the 31-year-old is still missing after his team-mates at Hatayspor were pulled from the wreckage despite a claim that appeared to have been corroborrated by both the Super Lig club's vice president Mustafa Ozat and the Ghana FA that Atsu had been found and taken to hospital "with injuries". The latest reports are that Atsu cannot be located at the hospital that he was believed to be have been taken to. A search and rescue operation continues for thousands believed to have been buried as buildings collapsed in a tragedy that has killed an estimated 5,000 people so far. Article continues below video content Atsu made 5 appearances for the Toffees in the 2014-15 season under Roberto Martinez during a loan spell from Chelsea and he also played for Malaga before joining the Magpies is 2016 where he made 32 league appearances. Following a short stint in Saudi Arabia with Al Raed he moved to Turkey last summer where he has played 3 times and scored one goal. Reader Comments (28) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer () Andrew Ellams 1 Posted 06/02/2023 at 13:18:03 Few thoughts today for one time blue Christian Atsu who is thought to be missing buried under a collapsed building after the earthquaked in Turkey. Tony Abrahams 2 Posted 06/02/2023 at 15:03:35 Even worse news is that Christian Atsu is allegedly trapped under rubble after the earthquake in Turkey. I hope he’s going to be okay... 🙏 Soren Moyer 3 Posted 06/02/2023 at 15:21:39 Terrible news regarding Atsu! let's hope he is well. Will Mabon 4 Posted 06/02/2023 at 15:26:18 Soren – yes, and everyone else. Derek Knox 5 Posted 06/02/2023 at 15:47:13 Sort of brings it home, when you hear of stories like this, I really hope he manages to survive if trapped, or is found to be accounted for later, as being elsewhere. Kieran Kinsella 6 Posted 06/02/2023 at 15:51:33 TonyI saw that. Horrifying situation out there in Turkey Tony Abrahams 7 Posted 06/02/2023 at 16:00:27 Absolutely horrific this, and my thoughts are with the Turkish people right now. Danny O’Neill 8 Posted 06/02/2023 at 16:11:19 It does bring the realities of life home.I've experienced the odd earthquake and scrapes of different types throughout life. But this one, those people had no control over.God bless too all in Turkey and Syria and the entire region as the impact will reach beyond. Gives you perspective on life. Kieran Kinsella 9 Posted 06/02/2023 at 17:06:08 The pictures indicate a truly terrible situation. Very sad news. Hoping Christian and many others somehow get to safely Jack Convery 10 Posted 06/02/2023 at 17:18:03 Here's hoping Christian Atsu is found safe and well. Turkey and Syria are in all our thoughts and hearts tonight. Peter Carpenter 11 Posted 06/02/2023 at 18:22:41 I wish strength to the rescuers. Hope they can save as many as possible. Mike Gaynes 12 Posted 06/02/2023 at 18:59:34 Damn. Pulling hard for that young man and all the other victims of this disaster. Barry Hesketh 13 Posted 06/02/2023 at 20:33:35 Colin Millar@Millar_ColinChristian Atsu has been found alive inside rubble after today's devastating earthquake that rocked Turkey and neighbouring nations. He reportedly has breathing difficulties and an injury to his right foot, and has been transported to hospital. https://abola.pt/nnh/2023-02-06Disclaimer: Turkish reports have still not confirmed this. (A Bola have several links to the club through former Portuguese Primeira players so fingers crossed their report was published with the correct information) Christy Ring 14 Posted 06/02/2023 at 20:37:28 Brian, Thanks for the update, good news! Phil (Kelsall) Roberts 15 Posted 06/02/2023 at 20:42:12 Leeds Utd's next two games are Home and Away to Man Utd. If they lose them both by 4-0 aggregate, we could be out of the Bottom 3 before Monday night. Tony Everan 16 Posted 06/02/2023 at 20:43:41 Some welcome news if true, It feels like a miracle when they pull anyone out alive from the rubble. Barry Hesketh 17 Posted 06/02/2023 at 20:52:56 Tony @10Apparently Atzu scored a last-minute winner for his team on Sunday.Saddick Adams@SaddickAdamsI'm still in contact with Christian Atsu's management. A teammate of Atsu has confirmed to them, the player has been found and taken to the hospital. They expect an official statement from his club soon. Prayers still with him and everyone. Trust God he is safe. Mike Gaynes 18 Posted 07/02/2023 at 01:08:41 Barry, that would be glorious. However, according to the Guardian and Goal.com, his club's honorary president is saying the reports are incorrect, that Atsu has not yet been found. Apparently the club's sporting director is also missing in the rubble of the same building. Two other players were rescued.Atsu scored a 97th minute gamewinner for his club just a few hours before the quake. Ajay Gopal 19 Posted 07/02/2023 at 04:27:32 Very sad, hope he is found okay. Terrible tragedy for all of Turkey & Syria. Hope Dele and our former players Cenk Tosun and Gbamin are also okay. Jerome Shields 20 Posted 07/02/2023 at 05:35:47 Hope Atsu is found well, involved in a terrible tragedy. Sean Roe 21 Posted 07/02/2023 at 07:37:21 It certainly puts a few vastly overpaid ''heroes'' kicking a football round a pitch into perspective. Eddie Dunn 22 Posted 07/02/2023 at 08:14:20 Obviously hope he is okay but, in these events, information is often hard to get. Peter Carpenter 23 Posted 07/02/2023 at 09:54:56 BBC saying he's been pulled out alive. Dave Lynch 24 Posted 07/02/2023 at 12:51:25 I've just read on BBC that Christian Atsu has been pulled out alive from earthquake rubble. Iakovos Iasonidis 25 Posted 07/02/2023 at 15:16:40 He is found and he is well. Good news Mike Gaynes 26 Posted 07/02/2023 at 16:36:57 Hallelujah!! He survived. He is hospitalized in stable condition. The Independent reports now that he is "receiving treatment", which means injuries. Atsu has barely played for Hatayspor this season, but he subbed on in the 90th minute of a 0-0 game Sunday night and won it with a free kick in the 97th, his first goal for the club. His agent says he was celebrating by playing poker with friends until 3:30 in the morning. Got home around 4am. The quake struck at 4:17.The club's sporting director is still missing in the rubble of the same building. Atsu's goal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bOHWEUOFQUFree kick at 5:45 in the highlights. Kieran Kinsella 27 Posted 08/02/2023 at 15:25:59 His club are saying today that he has not been rescued and they do not have any information on him. One teammate said the same. Seemingly there was a mix up and the Ghanaian FA thought he had been found but hasn't. This according to the Daily Mirror. The BBC quote his agent as saying the same. Iakovos Iasonidis 28 Posted 08/02/2023 at 15:41:46 Still missing... 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