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A trio of officers were killed and no fewer than 15 additional individuals sustained injuries in what appears to be intentional blast caused by gas at a country home in Italy's north.

Event Timeline

The explosion occurred as law enforcement and fire personnel approached the residence near Verona to enforce an eviction order for a brother and sister trio who were older adults.

All three deceased individuals belonged to the Italian military police.

Investigation Developments

One male and one female were arrested at the site and another man who escaped following the explosion was found soon after. Each of them have been taken to the hospital.

The explosion could be heard as far as 3 miles distant and photographs from the area showed the property left as a mass of wreckage.

“This is a time for grieving,” stated the Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi, who noted that previous tries had been made to displace the three family members in the past.

Background and Motive

The leader of the Veneto area, the regional head, said the farmhouse was under an removal notice due to debts accrued by the siblings.

Negotiators had been dispatched to talk with the brothers and sister who had secured themselves into the property. When the officers arrived shortly after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), authorities suspect one of the residents triggered the detonation.

“Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” provincial police commander the police commander stated to news outlets.

A propane tank had been set off, and the explosion precisely impacted our personnel,” he said.

Molotov cocktails were also found at the residence, the minister stated.

Injuries and Destruction

The wounded by the explosion consisted of an additional 11 personnel of the military police as well as three members of national police and a emergency responder.

As stated by the Verona prosecutor, the building was in a poor condition and had no electricity.

He thought the blast had happened on a story above the doorway and told reporters it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Moments before the incident, he mentioned officers had “heard a whistle, likely the gas canisters being activated”.

Local Response

“We all knew the situation was dire,” neighbors stated to Italian media, mentioning that the family members had previously threatened to “detonate the property” rather than leave the house.

“The blast resulted in a ‘horrific, deeply distressing and tragic cost’.”

Defence Minister Minister Crosetto stood alongside other elected representatives in commemorating the three officers who had died in the service of their country.