Former Ghana international football star, Christian Atsu, who died in a devastating earthquake in Turkey is being flown home to his motherland today, Sunday, 19 February, according to the foreign ministry.
Atsu, aged 31, had been caught up in a 7.8-magnitude quake that rocked Turkey and Syria on Monday, February 6, seeing over 44,000 people in the two countries dead.
Before his body’s discovery, there had been initial reports that the former Chelsea and Newcastle player had been rescued a day after the quake, but these rumors turned out to be false and his body was found on Saturday, February 18.
According to Turkey’s foreign ministry, Atsu’s older brother and twin sister were present at the site of the rescue when his body was recovered.
Atsu’s wife, Marie-Claire Rupio, and their three children had been in the stands at St James’ Park in London on Saturday, 18 February to join a tribute to the player before Newcastle’s Premier League match against Liverpool.
