An Indian man died in a horrifying apartment fire in New York’s Harlem. 27-year-old Fazil Khan, a journalist, died in the accident caused by a lithium-ion battery at the St. Nicholas Place apartment building. 17 other residents were injured.
“Saddened to learn about the death of 27-year-old Indian national Mr Fazil Khan in an unfortunate fire incident in an apartment building in Harlem, NY. India in New York is in touch with the late Mr Fazil Khan’s family and friends. We continue to extend all possible assistance in reparation of his mortal remains to India,” the embassy said.
Khan was an alumnus of the Columbia Journalism School. He was working as a data journalist with The Hechinger Report based at Teachers College, Columbia University. The nonprofit newsroom, which reports on inequality and innovation in education, wrote after Khan’s death, “We learned Saturday that The Hechinger Report’s data reporter Fazil Khan died in a fire in the New York City building where he lived. We are devastated by the loss of such a great colleague and wonderful person, and our hearts go out to his family. He will be dearly missed.”
Khan started his career as a copy editor at Business Standard in 2018, according to his LinkedIn profile. He later worked as a correspondent at CNN-News18 in Delhi. In 2020, he moved to New York to get a graduate degree from Columbia University.
‘People were jumping out of the windows’
The fire prompted rope rescues from the apartment, from where a number of people jumped to escape. Many used the fire escape.
A local said of the incident, “The fire was at the top and people were jumping out of the windows.” One resident said his father was forced to leave the building with just his keys and phone.
As many as 18 people were rescued. 12 of them were rushed and admitted to a local hospital. Four people remain in critical condition, as per reports.
A full vacate” order was issued by the Department of Buildings. Temporary housing is being provided by the Red Cross to those who were affected, at a nearby school.