The body of Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu, found under the rubble of the building where he lived in Hatay, Turkey, will be repatriated to Ghana on Sunday, the country’s foreign ministry said.
The remains will be accompanied by the family and the Ghanaian ambassador to Turkey on a flight that will arrive in Accra. [capital do Gana] at 7:40 PM. The body will be taken care of by relatives, the Ghana Football Association and the government,” the note read on the ministry’s official website.
Atsu, 31, was found dead on Saturday under the rubble of the building where he lived in Hatay, southern Turkey, after the February 6 earthquake that also hit Syria.
According to Turkish media, the player who played for Hatayspor, in which Portugal’s Rúben Ribeiro also plays, was found under the rubble of his residence in Ronesans, a 12-storey tower that collapsed in the earthquake.
The Ghanaian international striker represented FC Porto between 2009 and 2013, on loan to Rio Ave between (2011/12), after later playing for Vitesse (Netherlands), Everton, Bournemouth (both from England), Málaga (Spain), Newcastle (England), Al Raed (Saudi Arabia) and Hatayspor (Turkey).
Atsu joined Turkish club Hatayspor in September, based in Hatay (south) province, close to the epicenter of the violent earthquake that hit Turkey on February 6.
The earthquake, followed by strong aftershocks, killed more than 40,000 people in Turkey and Syria, according to the latest official reports released Friday, and also left thousands injured and homeless.
Source: DN
