Ghaziabad, June 16 : The family of a medical student from Ghaziabad, currently stranded in war-torn Iran, on Monday has appealed to the Indian government to ensure his safe return.

Rizwan Ansari, a resident of Behta Hajipur in Ghaziabad's Loni, is pursuing an MBBS degree in Tehran and was living in a university hostel that was recently destroyed in a missile strike amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran.

According to his family, Rizwan narrowly escaped the attack. He had gone to a nearby hotel with friends for a meal when the missile hit the hostel building. Upon returning, he found the building reduced to rubble. He then called his family using someone else's phone to inform them he was safe.

Speaking to IANS, Rizwan's mother, Yaman Rani, made an emotional appeal to the Prime Minister.

"My son wanted to become a good doctor, which is why he went to Tehran to study. I request Prime Minister Narendra Modi, through your platform, to bring my son back to India. He told us his hostel building had collapsed and everything he owned was destroyed. From childhood, he dreamed of becoming either a scientist or a highly qualified doctor."

His father, Mohammad Ali, added: "Rizwan went to Iran in November last year. He has been very disturbed since Sunday, as missiles have been landing near his area. He went out to eat at a hotel, and when he returned, the building was gone. He told me there were bodies lying around his building. He said, 'I am alive only because I was outside.' I urge the Indian government to bring my son and all Indian students in Iran back safely."

Ghulam Abbas, Rizwan's maternal uncle, said: "This is his first year in Iran. He told us Israel is continuously launching missiles. When he didn't step out for 24 hours, we told him to go and get something to eat. His mobile phone, tablet - everything is gone in the collapse. We are requesting the government to rescue him and others stuck there."

The situation in the region continues to deteriorate, with families like Ansari's anxiously awaiting government intervention.

/IANS