Ghana soccer veteran Christian Atsu was saved from the rubble after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake caused massive destruction in Turkey, league officials announced Tuesday.
Atsu, a 31-year-old winger, joined the Turkish football club Hatayspor last year.
“We’ve received some positive news that Christian Atsu has been successfully rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building and is receiving treatment,” the Ghana Football Association tweeted Tuesday morning. “Let’s continue to pray for Christian.”
Atsu was hospitalized in stable condition, his agent told CNN. Hatayspor’s sporting director, Taner Savut, remained “under the rubble” Tuesday, the club’s vice president told the radio station Radyo Gol, according to ESPN.
More than 7,200 people have been confirmed dead since Monday morning’s earthquake, which caused thousands of buildings to collapse in southeast Turkey and northern Syria. A magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred about 60 miles away, several hours after the first quake.
Hatayspor plays in Hatay, where more than 1,800 people had been saved as of Tuesday evening, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.
Ten Turkish provinces are under a state of emergency, and severe winter weather continues to complicate rescue efforts.
Atsu played for the Premier League clubs Chelsea, Everton, Bournemouth and Newcastle United and has made more than 60 international appearances for Ghana, most recently in 2019. Atsu scored the winning goal in Hatayspor’s match Sunday night.