India, May 23 -- Ashiq Hussain, a 53-year-old Pakistani Uber driver and father of four, died in a fall while trying to escape a fire in his Brooklyn apartment on Monday.

The early morning fire broke out in the building housing Hussain's apartment, located above the M9 Deli and Grill in Brooklyn.

Hussain had just returned home from a night shift when he noticed the fire and alerted his two roommates, who were able to get out safely.

Seeing thick smoke filled his top-floor unit, Hussain and another person attempted to climb down a ladder deployed by the FDNY. But, the ladder's upper section buckled and Hussain fell from the top of the ladder to the sidewalk below.

"He was trying to breathe from the outside because inside there was a lot...