Overview
- Ashiq Hussain, a Pakistani immigrant and Uber driver, died after falling from a malfunctioning FDNY ladder during a rescue from a third-floor apartment fire in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
- The fire, determined to be electrical in origin, also left two residents treated for smoke inhalation and a firefighter hospitalized with a leg injury.
- Footage shows the ladder's top section suddenly retracting as Hussain stepped onto it, causing him to fall fatally to the ground; an autopsy confirmed blunt force trauma as the cause of death.
- The FDNY has removed the ladder from service and launched an investigation involving Fire Marshals, Fire Operations, and the Division of Safety to determine the cause of the failure.
- Hussain, who had been living alone while supporting his family in Pakistan, was remembered as a hardworking and kind man; his family is demanding accountability for the incident.