BU medical student dies in fall in Allston

Babur Z. Khalique, a 23-year-old New Jersey native, was with friends on the fire escape outside a third-floor apartment at 5 Walbridge St. shortly after midnight. According to police, his friends went inside for a few minutes, and when they returned, they saw that Khalique had fallen to the sidewalk.

Rescuers responded at 12:49 a.m. and rushed him to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Police and the Suffolk district attorney’s office are investigating the fall, which they said appears acciden tal.

No charges have been filed. A police spokesman said the department did not receive any calls or complaints about loud partying in the building Friday night or early yesterday. Police are investigating whether alcohol was involved.

The four-story brick building has 25 apartment units with fire escapes on the front and back.

The Boston Inspectional Services Department cautioned that the narrow metal grated structures are not designed for people to gather on. Regulations require only that fire escapes to be about 24 inches wide.

“Fire escapes are for emergency exit only,’’ said Bill Good, commissioner of the department. “They’re clearly not intended for people to be using them for any other purpose.’’

Khalique, a graduate of Drexel University in Philadelphia, was enrolled in Boston University School of Medicine. His death saddened the BU community, especially those that knew him.

“Babur was extremely smart and very witty. He would grasp complex concepts quickly and he always did top notch on the exams,’’ said third-year medical student Ryan Heinrick, who had several classes with Khalique. “I have some good memories of going to the BU Pub with him, getting a sandwich and a beer, and just talking about pretty much anything.’’

Heinrick said Khalique wanted to be a radiation oncologist, treating cancer patients.

“Everyone in class knew Babur and he was well liked. We’re all going to miss him,’’ he said.

University officials also expressed sadness.

“He was a brilliant and engaged medical and biomedical engineering student with a promising future. His death is a great loss,’’ said Colin Riley, a BU spokesman. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, classmates, and all those who knew him.’’

Travis Palermo, 23, who lives on the fourth floor of the building but was not present when Khalique fell, said tenants are warned by the landlord to stay off the fire escapes.

“It says it in your lease, ‘Don’t be out on the balconies. Don’t be up on the roof,’ ’’ he said.

“They’ll evict you. You’re not allowed on them unless there’s an emergency; that’s what they’re for,’’ he said.

Flower boxes and other objects were visible on the fire escapes in the rear of the building yesterday.

A representative from Fineberg Companies, which manages the property, did not return calls seeking comment.

Khalique’s death was at least the sixth time a Boston-area college student has died in the past three years from falling from a building.

Most recently, an Emmanuel College sophomore died last March from an apparently accidental fall from a third-floor window in Brighton.

On March 1, 2008, Massachusetts Institute of Technology senior Robert M. Wells, 22, fell from a fifth-floor window at the Delta Upsilon fraternity house on Beacon Street.

In January 2007, Boston University student Michael Robertson, 20, fell from a fourth-floor window on Mountfort Street.

“It’s definitely an issue, even with the tens of thousands of students here [in Boston],’’ said Riley, who added that students are educated about off-campus apartment safety.

Martin Finucane of the Globe staff and Globe correspondent Emma Rose Johnson contributed to this report. John Guilfoil can be reached at jguilfoil@globe.com.