27-Yr-Old Indian Journalist Dies In New York Apartment Fire Caused By E-Bike Battery

New Delhi:  Fazil Khan, a 27-year-old Indian journalist, died in a tragic fire incident at an apartment complex in New York’s Harlem.

“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. @IndiainNewYork is in touch with late Mr. Fazil Khan’s family & friends. We continue to extend all possible assistance in reparation of his mortal remains to India,” Indian Embassy in New York said in a post on X.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Khan began his career as a copyeditor at Business Standard in 2018 and worked as a correspondent at CNN-News18 in Delhi before moving to New York in 2020 for a degree from Columbia University. Khan was working as a data journalist with The Hechinger Report based at Teachers College, Columbia University.

“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,” the nonprofit newsroom wrote after his death.

Reports further said that inferno, caused by a lithium-ion battery, forced residents of St. Nicholas Place apartment building to resort to desperate measures, including jumping out of windows, to flee the intense flames, resulting in injuries to 17 individuals.

Describing the grim tragedy, a local resident said, “The fire was at the top and people were jumping out of the windows.” Another resident mentioned that he and his father left their residence with just their phone and keys. As many as 18 people were rescued from the apartment. Among them, 12 were taken to a local hospital and the condition of four among them is stated to be critical, ANI reported quoting CBS News.