Ghanaian star Christian Atsu's agent has issued a heart-wrenching statement following the player's disappearance during the devastating earthquake in Turkey.
More than 30 000 people have reportedly lost their lives, and a further 80 000 injured, after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and parts of Syria last Monday.
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The World Health Organisation stated that the catastrophic event is Europe's worst natural disaster in more than a century, with the body having initiated its largest deployment of medical and emergency services.
A number of athletes have been affected by the tremor, including Hatayspor winger Atsu, who is yet to be found despite some initial reports indicating that he had been pulled out of the rubble alive last week.
With a rising death toll, the former Newcastle United star's agent Nana Sechere has issued a lengthy statement confirming that his client is yet to be found despite ongoing attempts to locate him safely.
It has been 9 days since the earthquake and we still have not located Christian. I am at the quake site in Hatay with Christian's family. The scenes are unimaginable and our hearts are broken for all the people affected.
— Nana Sechere (@iAmNana7) February 14, 2023
"It has been 9 days since the earthquake and we still have not located Christian," Sechere wrote on Twitter.
"I am at the quake site in Hatay with Christian's family. The scenes are unimaginable and our hearts are broken for all the people affected.
"During my time, here we have been able to locate Christian Atsu's exact room location, and we have found two pairs of his shoes.
"Yesterday, we received confirmation that thermal imagery was showing signs of up to 5 lives, however, I am told that the only real confirmation of life is through sight, smell and sound, and unfortunately we were not able to locate Christian.
"This is a difficult situation and we are extremely grateful to all the Turkish and foreign rescue teams, local civilians and volunteers for their efforts and response in rescuing survivors.
"However, we urgently need more resources, including a translator, on the ground.
"Things are moving incredibly slow and as a result of that many rescues are being delayed, and lives are being lost due to the lack of resources available to the workers.
"It is unfortunate that the club is not on the ground with us, side by side, in the search for Christian.
"Their position and influence, accompanied with their local knowledge, would be extremely helpful. We implore the president of the club and mayor of Hatay, Lutfu Savas, to provide additional resources to speed up the rescue efforts as a priority."
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