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Christian Atsu's Hatayspor team-mate denies the former Newcastle and Chelsea player has been found alive amid reports he had been pulled from the rubble following devastating earthquake in Turkey

Reports that Christian Atsu have been found alive have been denied by one of his Hatayspor's team-mates.

More than 2,600 people have been killed and thousands more injured after the catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria overnight, flattening neighbourhoods while families were asleep.

A search and rescue operation was launched for the former Chelsea and Newcastle man, and it had been reported by Portuguese outlet A Bola that he had been found - though an Instagram post from Kerim Alici denied the information.

Two of his Hatayspor team-mates as well as members of the technical staff were said to have been pulled out of the rubble earlier in the day.