Ghanaian footballer rescued alive from rubble of Turkey earthquake

Ghana national football player Christian Atsu has been found alive and rescued after being buried from the rubble of a destroyed building following the devastating earthquake in Turkey.

The Ghana Football Association confirmed the news on Twitter.

“Update: We have received positive news that Christian Atsu has been successfully rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building and is receiving treatment. Let’s continue to pray for Christian,” the Ghana Football Association wrote on Tuesday.

Atsu, 31, played in the Premier League for Newcastle United and Everton before joining Turkish club Hatayspor in September.

A spokesman for the club on Monday told Turkish media that Atsu was thought to be in a building that was destroyed by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake and aftershocks that hit southeast Turkey and neighboring Syria. The death toll passed 7,200 on Tuesday and is expected to rise.

Turkish second tier club Yeni Malatyaspor also confirmed on Twitter later on Tuesday that their goalkeeper Ahmet Eyüp Turkaslan had died in the earthquake.

Atsu was treated, but GFA did not give details of any injuries.

The tremors from Monday’s earthquake destroyed thousands of buildings and caused more suffering in a region shaped by Syria’s 12-year civil war and refugee crisis.

CONNECTED: Race to find survivors: Earthquake death toll tops 7,000

As of Tuesday, more than 8,000 people had been pulled from rubble in Turkey alone, and about 380,000 had taken refuge in government-run shelters or hotels, according to Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay. They crowded into malls, stadiums, mosques, and community centers, while others spent the night outside in blankets, gathering around fires.

This story was reported from Los Angeles. The Associated Press contributed.