Football player Christian Atsu’s partner has requested that equipment be sent to the building that has collapsed where he was living since Atsu has been missing since the Monday earthquake in Turkey.
Atsu, a player for the Turkish team Hatayspor, was reportedly pulled “with injuries” from a building.
But a day later, his agent stated that it was unknown where he was.
Claire Rupio, a resident of Newcastle, United Kingdom, told BBC News, “I still pray and believe that he is alive.”
Rupio says conflicting reports about his whereabouts have been “confusing” and “quite shocking”, revealing their children heard on the radio that he will still missing.
She said: “I appeal for the Hatayspor club, the Turkish authorities, and the British government to send out the equipment to get people out of the rubble—especially my partner and the father of my children.”
“They need the equipment to get them out—they can’t get that deep without the equipment.” “And time is running out.”
More than 21,000 people have died in southern Turkey and northern Syria since the earthquake and aftershocks that followed.
Taner Savut, the sporting director of Atsu’s club Hatayspor, and Atsu have not been seen since the quake on Monday.
On Tuesday, Hatayspor’s vice-president told Turkish media that Atsu had been found alive, but on Wednesday, other figures from the club as well as Atsu’s agent Nana Sechere said they had not been able to confirm this.
Rupio said that the agent is now in Turkey and attempting to get to the building in Hatay that Atsu is inside.
Sechere tweeted on Thursday: “The situation remains the same, Christian Atsu is yet to be found. Unless I see Christian, or speak with him, I have no further updates.”
“They know where the building is, and they’re trying their best to rescue everybody,” added Rupio.
“They know there are people still trapped under the rubble, but the problem is that they don’t have the equipment necessary to get them out.
“So he’s still missing, and we don’t know where he is.”
‘Atsu reports have been confusing and shocking’
Rupio last spoke to Atsu on Saturday morning. She described the inaccurate news from the club about Atsu having been rescued as “quite shocking.”
“The club were confirming that he was found and was alive and taken to hospital, and 11 hours later my children had to hear from the radio that they still did not know where he is,” she said.
“I know that his agent is there and that they are trying their best to find him.” He will obviously bring me news that I can trust if he sees or speaks to him. “Everything is quite confusing.”
Atsu, 31, played 107 games for Newcastle and had spells with Chelsea, Everton, and Bournemouth.
The Premier League has announced it will donate £1m to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Appeal to deliver humanitarian aid to those in Turkey and Syria in need of it.
Players and officials in the Premier League will also wear black armbands at matches this weekend.
Also, as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives, or are affected by these tragic events, Premier League players and match officials will wear black armbands at games this weekend.