President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has extended condolences to the governments and people of Turkey and Syria on behalf of Ghana following a devastating earthquake on Monday that has claimed over two thousand lives so far.
Rescue efforts are still underway and the death toll is estimated to rise further.
In a statement posted on his official Twitter page, the president said that Ghanaians will keep praying for their compatriot and former Black Stars winger Christian Atsu who is feared to be trapped under the rubble to be found alive soon.
“Our hearts and prayers go out to the survivors, and we pray that our fellow Ghanaian, Christian Atsu, is found safe and sound,” Akufo-Addo said in a tweet on Monday, February 6, 2023.
Reports say Atsu who plays for Hatayspor and club director Tanur Savut, both of whom were said to be in Turkey at the time of the incident have been left under the rubble.
Search operations have been able to rescue some of his teammates, but the report said Atsu and Savut could not be found.
So far, more than 2000 people have died and rescuers are racing to pull survivors from beneath the rubble after the devastating earthquake ripped through Turkey and Syria, leaving destruction and debris on each side of the border.
One of the strongest earthquakes to hit the region in a century shook residents from their beds at around 4 a.m. on Monday, sending tremors as far away as Lebanon and Israel.
The epicenter of the 7.8-magnitude quake was 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.
Christian Atsu came from the bench to score the winner for Hatayspor in the Turkish league last night.
The 31-year-old scored his first goal for the club as Hatayaspor defeated Kasimpasa.
“Important win for the team. Happy to be on the scoresheet,” wrote the former Chelsea player on Twitter.
Atsu was brought on in the 82nd minute for his third appearance of the campaign when he replaced French forward Rayan Aabid.
Atsu scored in stoppage time and that made the difference in the round of 23 fixture as Hatayspor move out of the relegation zone to the 14th position on the table.
Source: Pulse Ghana
