Fazil Khan: 'Young & brilliant' NYC journalist dies in an apartment building fire sparked by a lithium-ion battery

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A journalist in his late 20s tragically lost his life in an apartment building fire sparked by a lithium-ion battery, officials said. The Consulate General of India identified the victim as Fazil Khan, 27, in a post shared on X. 

“@IndiainNewYork is in touch with late Mr Fazil Khan’s family & friends," they wrote, adding "We continue to extend all possible assistance in repatriation of his mortal remains to India.”

Fazil Khan was a data reporter for The Hechinger Report

Khan was a data reporter for The Hechinger Report, a non-profit newsroom that covers education issues. “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 organization wrote in a statement on X.

When were the authorities informed about the accident?

The New York City Fire Department said in an email that authorities were notified about the two-alarm blaze early Friday, February 23, and arrived at the scene shortly afterward. The department added that the fire occurred on the third floor of a six-story multiple dwelling. In addition to the one fatality, there were 17 people injured who were taken to area hospitals. 

Fire marshals determined that the fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery.

Firefighters had to make three rope rescues

“The fire was on the third floor and was blowing into the hallways, trapping people above. It was so dangerous, that firefighters had to make three rope rescues, which is something very unusual for us to do at one fire,” said FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Joseph Pfeifer at a news conference at the time of the incident.

At a hearing earlier this month, FDNY Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh and other fire officials addressed the issue of lithium-ion batteries which the FDNY said are now the leading cause of fires and fire deaths in New York City. “While this is happening in New York City and we’ve been leading the charge as New York City always does, this is a national problem,” Kavanaugh said. 

Fazil Khan was a graduate of New York City's Columbia Journalism School

Khan, a graduate of New York City's Columbia Journalism School, was remembered by the school's dean as somebody who was "greatly admired and respected by his peers."

In an email shared with WPIX-TV, the school’s dean wrote, “It is with deep sadness that I must share the news with you that Fazil Khan, a 2021 graduate of the J-School and a 2021-22 CJI Global Migration fellow, succumbed to injuries sustained in a fire at his apartment building on Friday night."

Another tribute came from Anjali Tsui, an editor and reporter for investigative newsroom The Examination.

“I was lucky to work with Fazil @THECITYNY’s Missing Them project,” Tsui wrote on social media, adding "He was a brilliant and thoughtful journalist and a generous colleague. He and @lizdonov spent >1 year reporting on kids who lost a parent to Covid. Their stories led to a NY state bill to help grieving families.”

Richard Kim, the editor-in-chief of The City, described Khan as a “young & brilliant reporter” on X and shared a link to an Ever Loved page for those who want to donate funds in Khan’s memory. According to the page, Khan is survived by his mother, five siblings and his grandmother. 

"Fazil was an extraordinary journalist, and more importantly, the most compassionate and thoughtful friend,” Paroma Soni, a friend of Khan who established the fundraising page.

”Fazil was a poet, brave enough to achieve every dream he had, always generous and sincere. His presence was as grounding as it was uplifting, his humour as dry as his observations sharp. For every game of cards he was too competitive to let me win in, he made up for by always being infallibly kind," Soni added in the post.