Christian Atsu is still missing in Turkey after a devastating earthquake hit the country on Monday, the footballer's partner has said.
The former Newcastle United star was said to be trapped under the rubble with some of his Hatayspor teammates when the building they were in collapsed. More than 22,000 people in Turkey and Syria are now confirmed to have died after earthquakes struck both countries.
Although some previous reports had suggested that Atsu had been hospitalised after being pulled from the rubble, his partner Claire Rupio has confirmed that the 31-year-old is yet to be found. Appearing on BBC News from Newcastle, Claire said: "All I know is that currently his agent is in Turkey, and he's trying to get to the place where it happened.
"They know where the building is, and they're trying their best to rescue everybody. They know that there are people still under the rubble, but the problem is that they don't have the equipment necessary to get them out.
"So he is still missing, and we don't know where he is," she confirmed. Claire was tearful as she talked about the nightmare ordeal on herself and her children, confirming that they last spoke to him on Saturday morning.
As she was asked her about the flurry of contrasting information that has been coming out of the country in the chaos, she said: "It was quite shocking, as you can imagine, with the club confirming that he has been found alive and taken to hospital.
"And 11 hours later, my children had to hear it from the radio that they still don't know where he is. I know that his agent is there and they are trying their best to find him, so I trust that he will bring me the news that if he sees him or speaks to him... but it's quite confusing, everything."
Saying that she was "praying" her partner will be found alive, she added: "All I can say is that I know the rescuers are trying their best, working day and night to rescue everybody. I just feel for everybody who, like me and my children, has been in the unknown not knowing whether their loved ones are alive or not."
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