Man dies from electrocution while illegally fishing with generator in Choman River

CHOMAN — A 31-year-old man from Khalifan died after being electrocuted while attempting to fish using an electric generator in the Choman River, according to local authorities.

Karwan Mirawadeli, head of civil defense in the Soran Administration, confirmed the death to 964media, saying the man was using the generator to emit electric currents into the water — a prohibited fishing method — when a sudden surge caused a fatal accident.

“The victim was 31 years old and from the town of Khalifan. He had gone to a part of the Choman River near the village of Nawkelakan to fish,” Mirawadeli said. He added that the electrocution occurred when the generator’s power came into contact with the water, creating a lethal electrical environment.

Emergency crews recovered the body and transported it to the Soran forensic medicine department before handing it over to the family.

The incident occurred despite a seasonal fishing ban imposed by the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, which runs from March 10 to June 20 to protect fish populations during their breeding season.

While the region’s rivers and reservoirs — including the Great Zab, Little Zab, Dukan, and Darbandikhan — are popular destinations for fishing, environmental regulations prohibit practices that endanger aquatic ecosystems. Banned methods include the use of electricity, poisons, explosives, and fine-mesh nets, all of which can result in large-scale harm to aquatic life and the disruption of natural breeding cycles.