Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu was found dead under the building where he lived in south Turkey after last week's massive earthquake, his Turkish agent said.
"Atsu's lifeless body was found under the rubble," Murat Uzunmehmet told reporters in Hatay, where the athlete's body was found. "Currently, more items are still being taken out. His phone was also found."
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His club Hatayspor has initially reported he was rescued "with injuries".
The ex-Chelsea winger, who has had stints with Premier League clubs Everton and Newcastle United, was scheduled to fly out of Turkey hours before the earthquake, but Hatayspor's manager said Atsu opted to stay with the club after scoring the game-winning goal in a February 5 Super Lig match.
"Atsu wanted to play more and asked for permission from his coach to leave if he wasn't going to get it," Hatayspor manager Fatih Ilek told a radio channel on Friday. "He bought a ticket to fly to Istanbul, and from there to France. He was going to look for a club to get more playing time."
The 31-year-old secured Hatayspor a 1-0 win over Kasimpasa by scoring seconds before the final whistle off a free kick.
Atsu joined Hatayspor, which is based in the southern city of Antakya, last year after a spell playing in Saudi Arabia.
The February 6 earthquake has killed more than 40,000 in Turkey and Syria.
