Pictures reveal devastation where Christian Atsu was found dead

Drone pictures reveal scene of devastation at the ruins of luxury apartment block in Turkey where former Chelsea star Christian Atsu was found dead following earthquake

• The block of 249 apartments is said to have collapsed ‘like a pack of cards’
• It was said to have been home to up to 1,000 people including Christian Atsu

Drone pictures have revealed the scene of devastation at the luxury block of flats in Turkey where the body of former Chelsea star Christian Atsu was found today.

Search teams continued to probe the rubble to look for more victims as questions were asked about how the block came to collapse in the earthquake 12 days ago.

Thick clouds of dust billowed from piles of crushed concrete and twisted metal as around 17 diggers combed through the ruins of 31-year-old Atsu’s block and a neighbouring building.

The 12-storey tower where the footballer lived, called Rönezans Rezidans which translates as Renaissance Residence was one of the most exclusive in the southern city of Antakya.

The block of 249 apartments is said to have collapsed ‘like a pack of cards’ when the earthquake struck the city just after 4am on February, 6.

Christian Atsu lived in 12-storey Rönezans Rezidans apartment block which came crashing down in the earthquakes in Turkey

The block of 249 apartments is said to have collapsed ‘like a pack of cards’ when the earthquake struck the city just after 4am on February 6

The 12-storey tower where the footballer lived, called Rönezans Rezidans which translates as Renaissance Residence was one of the most exclusive in the southern city of Antakya

Last week it was revealed that property developer Mehmet Yasar Coskun who built the tower in 2013 was arrested at the airport in Istanbul over suspicions about the building’s construction.

He denied fleeing the country and insisted that he was only on his way to Montenegro where he has other projects.

Coskun is said to have stated in leaked testimony that he did not know why the building had failed to withstand the two quakes which hit the region.

His lawyer suggested that the public were looking for scapegoats as Turkish authorities issued 113 arrest warrants connected to construction work across the country.

The white-cladded Rönezans Rezidans block which boasted a swimming pool, a gym and other luxury facilities were advertised as ‘a piece of paradise’ with ‘the highest construction standards’ when it was built.

It was said to have been home to up to 1,000 people including the Ghanaian footballer, but hundreds of them are feared to have died in the rubble.

Many are said to have chosen to live there, believing that its modern construction meant that it was safe from earthquakes.

Financial newspaper Dünya, said the block had been built on ‘floating foundations’ to better withstands seismic activity.

But reports have suggested that some residents had expressed concerns about the state of the 10-year-old tower before its collapse.

The coffin containing the body of former Ghana international football player Christian Atsu is loaded into an airplane bound for Ghana, at Adana airport in southern Turkey

Thick clouds of dust billowed from piles of crushed concrete and twisted metal as around 17 diggers combed through the ruins of 31-year-old’s block and a neighbouring building

It was said to have been home to up to 1,000 people including the Ghanaian footballer, but hundreds of them are feared to have died in the rubble

Other buildings in the area which are much older remained standing although most have signs of serious damage.

One nearby resident told MailOnline: ‘Rönezans was a special place to live. It should never have collapsed like this. Someone needs to answer for it.’

Turkish miners and rescue teams from other countries including Hungary, Romania and China worked day and night digging into the remains of Rönezans Rezidans in the days immediately after the disaster.

Only a few dozen people were pulled out alive from the ruins of their two to five-bedroom apartments in the block.

Thermal equipment detected signs of human life under the rubble and in some cases distant voices of survivors were heard, but readings turned negative as people died due to nobody being able to reach them.

An unspecified number of bodies have been recovered from the block, with some victims said to be showing signs of having died from hypothermia while trapped rather than crush injuries as nighttime temperatures plunged below freezing.

One nearby resident told MailOnline: ‘Rönezans was a special place to live. It should never have collapsed like this. Someone needs to answer for it’

Other buildings in the area which are much older remained standing although most have signs of serious damage

An unspecified number of bodies have been recovered from the block, with some victims said to be showing signs of having died from hypothermia

Only a few dozen people were pulled out alive from the ruins of their two to five-bedroom apartments in the block

Thermal equipment detected signs of human life under the rubble and in some cases distant voices of survivors were heard

Grant Rice, the operations officer of the AUS- 2 disaster assistance response team largely made up of firefighters from Australia told MailOnline that there was still a chance of finding survivors.

Mr Rice who is working on the neighbouring collapsed block, said: ‘We have been assisting local authorities across the area with our heavy cutting and lifting equipment, and removing victims. We have also been searching some of the voids at basement levels.

‘Unfortunately, we have not found anyone alive, but we have still got some hope. There are voids where people could be, and they could have potentially survived.

‘It is just unbelievable. Looking at the pile of rubble, I can’t picture what these buildings looked like before.

‘The Turkish people have been amazing with the gratitude they have shown towards us. We just want to help some of the families get closure.’

Atsu who played for Chelsea from 2013 to 2017 and had a spell at Newcastle is thought to have lived in the block since joining Turkish club Hatayspor last year.

He was known to have been missing since the earthquake. Initial hopes that he had been rescued were later dashed.

His agent Murat Uzunmehmet revealed the devastating news of his death on Saturday morning saying: ‘Atsu’s lifeless body was found under the rubble. Currently, more items are still being taken out. His phone was also found.’

‘My deepest condolences go to his family and loved ones. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their prayers and support.’

Atsu scored in the final minute of the club’s match against rivals Kasimpasa on the afternoon before the earthquake.

He is thought to have returned home to his apartment shortly before the earthquake after celebrating his team’s win with a late-night poker game.

Hatayspor called him ‘a beautiful person’, saying there were ‘no words to describe our sadness’.

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