Turkey Earthquake: Agent Confirms Christian Atsu’s Death

• As death toll now hits 45,000 mark
• Still figure expected to rise in coming weeks
• Survived by Wife, Rupio and three children 

Ghanaian international Christian Atsu has been found dead following this month’s devastating earthquake in Turkey, his agent Murat Uzunmehmet, has finally confirmed.

According to his agent, the former Chelsea and Newcastle United player’s body was pulled from the rubble of the devastating earthquake in Turkey following a 12-day search.

Atsu, 31, had been missing since the building he lived in in Hatay, southern Turkey, collapsed when the earthquake struck the region on February 6, 2023

The Ghana Black Stars winger’s representative, Murat said in a statement on Saturday morning, February 18, 2023, that his body had been found after days of desperate efforts by search and rescue officials

“Atsu’s lifeless body was found under the rubble. Currently, more items are still being taken out. His phone was also found,” he told reporters in Hatay, where Atsu had been playing for Hatayspor.

On Friday, reports had emerged that Atsu had planned to leave the country to visit family but cancelled his flight after scoring a last-minute winner for his side against Kasimpasa the day before the earthquake.

The death toll across Turkey and Syria has reached 45,000 with officials expressing fears the figure may further rise in the coming weeks with many people still reported missing.

The 31-year-old Ghanian footballer is survived by his wife, Marie-Claire Rupio, and three children. He met Rupio for the first time in Portugal in 2012 when he was 20 years old and they soon tied the knot.

“I met my wife in Portugal and you can see we have a beautiful family. We’ve been together for nine to ten years and I just love her,” Atsu said in an interview with TV3.

The couple then moved to Newcastle when he started playing for Newcastle United and in 2014, she showed support for her husband on Twitter. “Atsuuuuuuuuu go vitesse,” she tweeted.

In 2021, Atsu posted a sweet birthday wish for his wife on his Facebook page writing thus; “Happy Birthday to my lovely wife and the mother of our children. You make me happy and proud of the things we built together. I love you”.

The earthquake struck Turkey on February 6, 2023 and speaking to BBC, Rupio revealed that she last spoke to her husband on February 4, a day before he scored his first goal for Turkey’s Hatayspor.