CNN
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The body of Ghana soccer star Christian Atsu was found under rubble on Saturday, according to his agent, almost two weeks after the earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce to all well wishers that sadly Christian Atsu’s body was recovered this morning,” Atsu’s agent Nana Sechere tweeted. “My deepest condolences go to his family and loved ones.”
The body of the Hatayspor player was recovered from under the rubble of a destroyed building in Antakya, Turkey’s state news channel TRT Haber reported on Saturday.
His body will be sent to Ghana, according to a statement by his club Hatayaspor on Twitter. “Peace be upon you, beautiful person. There are no words to describe our sadness,” the statement added.
Atsu went missing after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on February 6, killing at least 45,513 people, with at least 39,672 dying in Turkey, according to the latest number given by Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.
In the immediate aftermath, there was confusion as reports from Turkey originally said that Atsu had been located and was in a hospital, but on February 8, Sechere tweeted that it had come to light, contrary to prior reports, that Atsu was still missing.
Prior to joining Hatayspor last year, Atsu represented several different English clubs, including Chelsea, Everton, Bournemouth and Newcastle.