Who Was Fazil Khan? All you need to know about the 27-year-old Indian Journalist who died in New York apartment fire

Well-known Indian journalist Fazil Khan, 27, has unexpectedly died inside his residence in Harlem, Manhattan. According to Business Standard, he was employed as a data reporter at The Hechinger Report. Fazil’s death was the result of a fire incident at his apartment which left around 17 people injured.

The Hechinger Report expressed its grief over Khan’s demise in a statement which reads in part:

“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 fire incident occurred on February 23, 2024, and emerged from a lithium-ion battery, as per Money Control. The fire reportedly started on the third floor of the apartment where Fazil Khan was staying and he was discovered by firefighters along with two other people.

The official New York City Fire Department feed revealed through X (Twitter) that around four people are currently in critical condition and further investigation is being conducted to find out how the fire emerged inside the apartment.

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Fazil Khan worked at various other companies in the past: Career explored

Fazil Khan’s name has been trending on social media after he lost his life in a fire incident. New York Daily News states that Fazil was a resident of Delhi, India and he arrived in New York City to acquire his Master of Science in Data Journalism at Columbia University.

The Consulate General of India took to their official page on X (Twitter) to pay tribute to Khan and their post reads:

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

According to his LinkedIn profile, he was a former student of Delhi University where he finished his graduation. Furthermore, Khan pursued his postgraduate diploma at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication.

In 2014, Fazil Khan served as a research intern at the Office of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Delhi. He then worked at Business Standard as a sub-editor and joined CNN-News 18 as a correspondent. As mentioned, he had been working at The Hechinger Report since 2022.

At the time of writing this article, detailed information about Khan’s early life and survivors remains unknown.

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More details on the fire incident at Fazil Khan’s apartment

New York Daily News reported that the Manhattan apartment started burning around 2:15 p.m. on February 23 and the flames later spread towards the staircase. The residents living on the top floor were reportedly unable to leave the building, forcing them to use the windows.

The New York City Fire Department feed shared a video where firefighters used a rope to reach the 5th floor and save the people who were trapped inside. However, another individual reportedly injured himself while attempting to leave the building and was taken to the hospital.

While an investigation has been launched, orders to vacate the building have already been processed. As mentioned earlier, the cause of the fire is yet to be made official.