Three killed, four injured in ‘illegal fishing’ incident involving explosives in Halabja

HALABJA — An early morning explosion in the Sazan area of Halabja killed three people and injured four others Thursday, in what police say appears to be a case of illegal fishing involving explosives.

The blast occurred around 6 a.m., according to local authorities, who said the group of seven had gone to the area to fish and were allegedly using explosives when the blast occurred. One of the deceased was reportedly recently married.

Halabja police said emergency teams transported the injured to Halabja Emergency Hospital, with one person later transferred to Sulaymaniyah due to the severity of his injuries. As of Thursday afternoon, only one body had been recovered, while two others remained at the site due to difficult terrain.

Authorities have yet to release final conclusions from their investigation.

The incident follows another illegal fishing-related death reported the previous day, when a 31-year-old man from Khalifan was electrocuted while attempting to fish with a generator in the Choman River.

Fishing is common in the Kurdistan Region’s rivers and reservoirs, but environmental regulations strictly prohibit harmful methods such as the use of electricity, explosives, poisons, and fine-mesh nets. The Kurdistan Regional Government warns these practices cause indiscriminate harm to aquatic life and disrupt breeding cycles critical for ecosystem health.