ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Three people lost their lives and four more were wounded as a result of a TNT explosion during a fishing trip to Halabja’s Sazan village, Halabja Police spokesperson Akam Qutbaddin confirmed to The New Region on Thursday.

“Seven citizens who had gone fishing in Sazan were impacted by a TNT explosion. According to initial tolls, three people have died and four more have been wounded as a result,” said Qutbaddin.

Blast fishing is a practice that takes advantage of explosives to stun or kill schools of fish in one fell swoop. The practice has been banned in the Kurdistan Region due to the dangers it poses to the underlying habitats that support the ecosystem, in addition to the risk to the fishermens’ lives, owing to the volatile nature of the explosives used and the affiliated risks.

Despite the risks and legal deterrents associated with it, the phenomenon is still practiced by some people, who opt for it due to its higher yield and swift results.

“Rescue and security teams have still not been able to arrive at the main site of the incident because of the difficulty and the steepness of the location,” Qutbaddin noted, referring to Sazan’s difficult-to-navigate and steep terrain; as a result, “only two of the victims have been taken to Halabja’s emergency hospital and received necessary treatment.”