Turkish Goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan, 28, Dies in Turkey Earthquake

The Turkish footballer's lifeless body was found beneath the debris after he was reported to be missing on February 6 following an earthquack of magnitude 7.8 that rocked Turkey and Syria

Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan. Source: Twitter

The deadly earthquake in Turkey has killed the Turkish goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan, the manage of the club for which he plays confirmed on Wednesday (February 8). "Our goalkeeper, Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan, lost his life after being under the collapse of the earthquake. Rest in peace," the  Yeni Malatyaspor announced on Twitter. "We will not forget you, beautiful person," they wrote. Ahmet was reported missing after the country was hit with a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Later, his dead body was discovered when the debris were cleared. 

Ahmet, who was 28, had joined the club in 2021 and featured in six matches for the second-division club. 

Another footballer named Christian Atsu, who who has previously played for Premier League clubs Chelsea and Newcastle, has become one of the victims of the natural disaster in Turkey. Atsu was lucky to survive the massive earthquake and was rescued from the debris. He hails from Ghana and plays for Turkish club Hatayspor. He was reportedly in a building that was demolished by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake. His whereabouts were unknown before a Ghana FA posted on Twitter that he has been successfully rescued. 

Başımız sağ olsun!

Kalecimiz Ahmet Eyüp Türkaslan, meydana gelen depremde göçük altında kalarak, hayatını kaybetmiştir. Allah rahmet eylesin, mekanı cennet olsun.
Seni unutmayacağız güzel insan. pic.twitter.com/15yjH9Sa1H

— Yeni Malatyaspor (@YMSkulubu) February 7, 2023

As per an IANS report, the death toll from the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the two nations - Turkey and Syria- earlier this week has increased to 7,926, authorities have confirmed. 

In an address to the nation early Wednesday, Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay said at least 5,894 people have been confirmed dead so far, while 34,810 others were injured, CNN reported. A total 16,139 teams were currently continuing with the search and rescue operations, with additional international teams to be deployed in the coming days, he added. In Syria, the death toll has increased to 2,032.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency on Tuesday in 10 of the country`s hard-hit provinces.