Deceased international footballer Christian Atsu's body, found almost two weeks after a series of devastating earthquakes hit Turkey, was sent back to his country Ghana on Saturday by the Turkish authorities.
The remains of the soccer star, who had been playing for Turkish Super Lig club Hatayspor, were found amid the ruins of a luxury 12-story building where he had been living in the hard-hit city of Antakya, Hatay province.
The death toll from the 7.8 magnitude quake on Feb. 6 in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria passed 43,000 on Friday and was certain to increase as search teams find more bodies.
The 31-year-old Atsu, who previously played for English Premier League clubs Chelsea and Newcastle United, Everton and Bournemouth, signed for Hatayspor from a Saudi side late last year.
Reports a day after the quake struck had said that Atsu was pulled alive from the rubble of a collapsed building and taken to a hospital for treatment. The club, however, announced days later that Atsu and the club's sporting director Taner Savut were still missing.
The contractor of the luxury 12-story Ronesans Rezidans building – where Atsu and Savut lived – was detained at Istanbul Airport a week ago. (AP)