Indian journalist Fazil Khan identified as victim in fatal Harlem lithium-ion battery fire
HARLEM - The victim killed in a fatal Harlem caused by a lithium-ion battery last week has been identified as a 27-year-old Indian journalist.
Fazil Khan died in the fire that broke out inside a 6-story apartment on St. Nicholas Place, according to officials.
At least 17 others were also injured in the blaze Friday.
FDNY officials confirmed that the cause of the devastating fire was a lithium-ion battery.
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The Indian Consulate in New York confirmed the news on X wiring, "Saddened to learn about death of 27 years old Indian national Mr. Fazil Khan in an unfortunate fire incident in an apartment building in Harlem, NY.," the Consulate General of India in New York posted on X.
Khan moved to New York from New Delhi, India in 2020 to pursue a master’s degree in data journalism at Columbia University.
The Columbia Journalism School wrote a message in honor of the 2021 alumni who passed away.
A member of Khan's class described him as "a talented data journalist, a loving brother and son, and an incredibly kind friend."
The School will host a memorial service on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. in honor of the young journalist.
Before the cause of the fire was determined, FOX 5 NY reported seeing e-bikes and their batteries being pulled from the building.
The fire began inside a third-floor apartment at around 2:15 p.m. and quickly spread, trapping unprepared residents above the flames.
Witnesses said they saw one person jump out of the burning residential building on St. Nicholas Place and 149th Street. This person's condition is unknown.,
"They were on the window sill, and they were trying to escape, but it's all the way on the top floor … they were hanging onto the window. I guess they couldn't hang on for long, and they fell to the ground," witness Michelle Paradis told FOX 5 NY.
Fire officials say that when they arrived on the scene, they found hallways full of smoke and fire while people laid unconscious inside apartments.
Firefighters were forced to do rope rescues to save some of the people from the building.