Turkish goalkeeper dies in earthquake disaster after 30 hours trapped
Turkish club Yeni Matalyaspor confirmed that goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan died in the devastating earthquake that just occurred in this country.
More than 5,000 people were killed in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Türkiye and Syria, including 28-year-old goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan. "Our goalkeeper, Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan, died in the earthquake. Rest in peace, we will never forget you," Yeni Matalyaspor said in a statement.
He was trapped under the rubble for more than 30 hours but the rescue team was helpless because they did not have enough equipment due to the large area of impact. His wife was also "buried" after the earthquake but was fortunately saved. She went online to ask for help from the community but everything was too late.
Former Premier League star Yannick Bolasie also shared a touching message in memory of his colleague. His post read: "Rest in peace, my brother. In the blink of an eye, everything collapsed due to the terrible earthquake. My condolences to Eyup's family and teammates at Yeni Malatyaspor. It's heartbreaking. I hope everyone joins hands to save the victims."
Earlier, the football world was shocked by the news that former Chelsea midfielder Christian Atsu was missing under the rubble after the earthquake. But fortunately, after many hours of search and rescue, Atsu was found in poor health.
Türkiye's Disaster Management Authority said it had received 11,342 reports of collapsed buildings, of which 5,775 were confirmed. The World Health Organization estimates that the death toll from the earthquake could be more than 20,000.
