Rouhani expresses sorrow over loss of devoted Iranian teacher

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has taken to his Twitter account to pay tribute to an Iranian teacher, who sacrificed his own life to save his pupils in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan.

“The name and memory of Hamid Reza Gangozehi, the teacher who taught us a lesson of bravery and sacrifice, will live on forever,” Rouhani wrote in a message as he extended his condolences to the bereaved family.

On Sunday, Gangozehi rushed to save the lives of three students at a house near the school where he was teaching at the Nuk Ju village.

The teacher had seen the ceiling and the walls of the house buckling under heavy rains. He managed to save the lives of the trio but got trapped under the debris as the building collapsed with a sudden gust of wind, taking his life.

Another teacher involved in the rescue effort broke a leg.